MLB Player News
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Jordan Westburg 2B | BAL
Orioles' Jordan Westburg: Sent to IL with ankle injury
The Orioles placed Westburg on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right ankle sprain, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Westburg injured the ankle during Monday's contest versus the Red Sox and did not improve enough in subsequent days to avoid a trip to the IL. He will be eligible for activation Aug. 29, but it's uncertain whether Westburg will be ready to go on that date. The Orioles have used Luis Vazquez and Jeremiah Jackson at third base since Westburg was hurt. Vimael Machin is taking Westburg's place on the active roster and could also see reps at the hot corner.
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Alex Freeland SS | LAD
Dodgers' Alex Freeland: Perking up at plate
Freeland went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a run and an RBI in Thursday's 9-5 win over Colorado.
Freeland not only posted his first three-hit effort in the majors, he also hit his first big-league triple and his second major-league double. The rookie infielder went 6-for-17 in the first five games following his July 29 call-up, but he then sputtered to a 1-for-25 stretch that included 10 strikeouts (albeit with seven walks) over his next 10 contests. Freeland may be starting to turn things back around, as he's gone 5-for-13 with three extra-base knocks and just one punchout over his past four contests. He's been starting regularly against right-handed pitchers, logging time at both second and third base.
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Kyle Karros 3B | COL
Rockies' Kyle Karros: Returns to lineup Friday
Karros (back) will start at third base and bat fifth in Friday's game versus the Pirates.
Karros was out of commission the previous two days while dealing with back tightness, but he's ready to go for Friday's series opener in Pittsburgh. The rookie infielder is off to a nice start in his first 12 big-league games, slashing .270/.386/.432 with one home run.
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Brady House 3B | WAS
Nationals' Brady House: Bangs out three hits in win
House went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Mets.
The rookie third baseman is still adjusting to big-league pitching, but he continues to offer occasional glimpses of his upside. House hasn't homered since July 13, and during his 25-game power drought the 22-year-old is slashing just .221/.225/.256 with a 30.3 percent strikeout rate. His minor-league resume offers hope that a turnaround will come eventually, although it might not happen until next season -- after posting a poor .655 OPS in his first taste of Triple-A in 2024, he delivered an .872 OPS in 65 games at the level this year to earn his promotion.
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Nacho Alvarez Jr. 3B | ATL
Braves' Nacho Alvarez: Set as starter at hot corner
Alvarez will be Atlanta's starting third baseman for the rest of the season after Austin Riley (abdomen) underwent season-ending surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
While manager Brian Snitker suggested that in the long run Alvarez might be better suited to a utility role, the 22-year-old will get a chance to change that impression over the final month-plus of the season. Through 91 plate appearances in the majors this year, Alvarez is slashing .247/.330/.309 with zero homers or steals, but he did hit 10 home runs and steal 10 bags with an .861 OPS over 64 Triple-A contests in 2024.
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Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Red Sox's Alex Bregman: Gets aboard four times
Bregman went 3-for-5 with a double and a walk in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Yankees.
Bregman wasn't directly involved in any run production, but he still had a strong game from the No. 2 spot in the order. The third baseman went 0-for-7 with three walks over this week's two-game series versus the Orioles but bounced back Thursday. Bregman has hit well overall, batting .303 with a .926 OPS, 16 home runs, 24 doubles, 52 RBI, 49 runs scored and a stolen base through 82 contests this season.
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Jordan Westburg 2B | BAL
Orioles' Jordan Westburg: Out again but hopes to avoid IL
Westburg (ankle) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
He hasn't played since departing Monday's contest versus the Red Sox with right ankle discomfort. Westburg is considered day-to-day, and Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino expressed optimism Thursday that the third baseman can avoid the 10-day injured list. Jeremiah Jackson is occupying the hot corner and batting second in the series opener Thursday.
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Austin Riley 3B | ATL
Braves' Austin Riley: Undergoes season-ending surgery
Atlanta announced Thursday that Riley (abdomen) underwent season-ending core injury surgery.
Riley is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February. The third baseman has been out since Aug. 2 and had been experiencing soreness in his abdominal area, and he was rehabbing to play again this year before suffering a setback this week. With surgery now in the rearview mirror, Riley's 2025 season is officially over, and he finished with a .260/.309/.428 slash line, 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 54 runs scored, two stolen bases and a 27:128 BB:K across 447 plate appearances. Now that he's done for the year, Riley will have missed a total of 112 games over the past two seasons.
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Paul DeJong SS | NYY
Nationals' Paul DeJong: Drawing fourth straight start
DeJong will start at second base and bat third in Thursday's game against the Mets.
DeJong will remain in the lineup for a fourth straight game, with the Nationals having faced two lefty starters and two righty starters during that stretch. Despite his recent usage, DeJong is likely to remain limited to a part-time role against right-handed pitching, as the Nationals are expected to continue deploying Luis Garcia at second base, Brady House at third base and CJ Abrams at shortstop for the majority of those matchups.
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Max Muncy 3B | LAD
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Takes swings off tee
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Muncy (oblique) has started taking swings off a tee, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Muncy did not feel any soreness in his right oblique while swinging off a tee, as he continues to move in a positive direction with his recovery. It's not clear what the next step is for the third baseman, but he could be ready to take batting practice soon.