MLB Player News
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Noelvi Marte 3B | CIN
Reds' Noelvi Marte: Back in starting lineup
Marte started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Saturday's 6-4 win over San Francisco.
Marte, who was held out of the starting lineup the last two games, returned to action Saturday, but the bat remained problematic. He has just two hits over the last 19 at-bats and is batting .172 for the season.
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Jake Burger 1B | MIA
Marlins' Jake Burger: Keeps up power surge
Burger went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 4-3 win over Atlanta.
Burger has logged five multi-hit efforts in his last eight games, and he's added five homers, eight RBI and a double over that span. The infielder got Miami on the board with his third-inning solo shot and added another RBI with a single in the fifth as part of the comeback effort. Burger's power was largely absent early in the season, as he hit just four homers over his first 38 games, but he's up to 17 long balls, 46 RBI, 40 runs scored, no stolen bases and a .242/.288/.434 slash line through 88 contests this year.
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Jonah Bride 1B | MIA
Marlins' Jonah Bride: Pops second homer
Bride went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's loss to Atlanta.
Slotting in as the depleted Marlins' cleanup hitter for the third straight game, Bride went yard for the second time during that stretch and the second time this season as he took Spencer Schwellenbach deep in the first inning. Bride has gone 7-for-23 (.304) in seven games since being called back up from Triple-A in late July, but his 2:10 BB:K -- not to mention his career .204/.299/.264 slash line over 347 plate appearances in the majors -- makes it tough to trust that his current hot streak will last much longer.
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Santiago Espinal 3B | CIN
Reds' Santiago Espinal: Hit streak ends
Espinal started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 3-0 loss to San Francisco.
Espinal, who made a fifth consecutive start, saw an end to a nine-game hit streak (as a starter). He entered Friday's game in a 19-for-35 stretch over the previous 12 games, which led to an increase in playing time, including starts at third base the last two games. The primary starter at the hot corner, Noelvi Marte, is batting .177 since coming back from a suspension and could be susceptible to losing playing time to Espinal.
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Donovan Solano 3B | SD
Padres' Donovan Solano: Pops fourth homer
Solano went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Rockies.
Solano has played in just five games since the All-Star break, as there isn't room for him in the lineup when all of Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez and Xander Bogaerts are playing. Despite the limited action, Solano has gone 5-for-12 over those five games. The utility man has a .300/.355/.417 slash line with four homers, 21 RBI, 21 runs scored, nine doubles and one stolen base over 197 plate appearances this season. His playing time would likely pick up if there was an injury to one of the Padres' other infielders.
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Manny Machado 3B | SD
Padres' Manny Machado: Clubs homer, double in loss
Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Rockies.
Machado was the only Padre with multiple hits in the contest. He's swinging a hot bat, going 10-for-22 (.455) with four homers and six RBI over his last five games. The third baseman is up to 17 homers, 59 RBI, 52 runs scored, 18 doubles, five stolen bases and a .269/.319/.442 slash line through 103 contests. A 30-homer campaign is still a longshot, but a power surge over the final two months of the season would make it possible.
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Trey Lipscomb 3B | WAS
Nationals' Trey Lipscomb: Not starting Friday
Lipscomb is out of the lineup for Friday's game versus the Brewers.
It's the second straight game on the bench for Lispcomb after he finished July with a .167/.206/.200 slash line and 27 percent strikeout rate over 17 games. Ildemaro Vargas, who posted a .731 OPS last month, will receive another start at third base and could receive more consistent playing time if Lipscomb continues to struggle.
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Noelvi Marte 3B | CIN
Reds' Noelvi Marte: Not in Friday's lineup
Marte is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.
It's the second straight game on the bench for Marte, who has a .177/.231/.281 slash line and 30.8 percent strikeout rate in 104 plate appearances since returning from his 80-game PED suspension in late June. Santiago Espinal will receive another start at third base Friday and could continue to cut into Marte's playing time after finishing July with a 1.184 OPS in 16 games.
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Austin Riley 3B | ATL
Braves' Austin Riley: Slugs 15th homer
Riley went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's win over the Marlins.
The third baseman got Atlanta on the board by taking Max Meyer deep in the first inning. Riley is coming off a strong July that saw him slash .280/.324/.527 with five homers and 14 RBI in 24 games, but with only 15 long balls on the year, he'll need to stay hot down the stretch to reach 30 for a fourth straight season.
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Mark Vientos 3B | NYM
Mets' Mark Vientos: Slugs 16th homer
Vientos went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Twins.
The third baseman gave the Mets an early, if temporary, lead when he took Pablo Lopez deep in the second inning. Vientos has gone yard in back-to-back games and four times in the last eight contests, boosting his slash line on the season to .286/.341/.563 with 16 homers and 42 RBI in 246 plate appearances.