MLB Player News
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Daniel Vogelbach DH | TOR
Brewers' Daniel Vogelbach: On wild-card roster
Vogelbach (hamstring) will be on the Brewers' wild-card roster, freelance baseball writer Robert Murray reports.
This does not guarantee that he will be in the Game 1 lineup, but with righty Walker Buehler starting for the Dodgers, Vogelbach will be in the lineup if physically able. He is unlikely to start Game 2 against lefty Clayton Kershaw. The big left-handed masher hit .328/.418/.569 with four home runs in 58 at-bats after getting claimed by Milwaukee on Sept. 3.
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Daniel Vogelbach DH | TOR
Brewers' Daniel Vogelbach: Still being evaluated
Vogelbach (hamstring) is still being assessed ahead of Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Vogelbach suffered the injury at the end of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cardinals, and according to skipper Craig Counsell, the slugger is still having the injury evaluated. "It's important that he's in the lineup," stated Counsell. "I know Daniel will do everything he can, and we will do everything we can to get him out there. It is important that we get Daniel in there against the RHPs, for sure." Vogelbach will remain day-to-day until the Brewers report otherwise.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Braves' Marcell Ozuna: Crushes 18th homer
Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the Braves' 9-1 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday.
He's probably not going to be an NL MVP finalist alongside his teammate, Freddie Freeman, but Ozuna was one of the top offensive contributors in all of baseball during the shortened 2020 regular season. Ozuna finishes with a .338/.431/.636 batting line, 18 home runs, 56 RBI and 38 runs scored in 267 plate appearances.
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Daniel Vogelbach DH | TOR
Brewers' Daniel Vogelbach: Dealing with injury
Vogelbach appeared to suffer a hamstring injury during Sunday's loss to the Cardinals but is expected to be ready for the postseason, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Vogelbach was limping after grounding out in the ninth inning Sunday, but manager Craig Counsell said after the game that he's hopeful that he'll be ready for the NL Wild Card Series against the Dodgers, which is scheduled to begin Wednesday. Vogelbach's status heading into the series is worth monitoring, but he should be the team's top option as the designated hitter if he's available.
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Brad Miller DH | SD
Cardinals' Brad Miller: Sitting out vs. lefty
Miller is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Miller and fellow lefty batter Matt Carpenter will take a seat Sunday, as Cardinals manager Mike Shildt goes with a lineup consisting of eight right-handed or switch-hitting players to counter southpaw Brett Anderson. Tyler O'Neill will serve as St. Louis' designated hitter in Miller's stead.
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Matt Carpenter DH | STL
Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Heads to bench
Carpenter is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Carpenter's absence from the lineup in a must-win game for the Cardinals illustrates just how far his stock has fallen since he slugged a career-high 36 home runs two seasons ago. His OPS for the abbreviated 2020 campaign sits at .639, 258 points below his mark from 2018. Tommy Edman will draw the start at third base Sunday over Carpenter, who could be relegated to a bench role should St. Louis punch its ticket to the postseason.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Reds' Jesse Winker: On bench against lefty
Winker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Winker seemed to be breaking out of his platoon role earlier this season, but he's been struggling in a major way and this marks his third consecutive absence against a lefty. Joey Votto will DH against Rich Hill while Aristides Aquino, Nick Senzel and Nick Castellanos play the outfield from left to right.
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Andrew McCutchen DH | TEX
Phillies' Andrew McCutchen: Nearly hits for cycle
McCutchen went 4-for-5 with a home run, an RBI and three runs scored Saturday against the Rays but the Phillies still lost, 4-3.
McCutchen led the way offensively for the Phillies, as he put up a four-hit night that was highlighted by a fifth-inning solo home run to left. The 33-year-old is hitting .258/.329/.441 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI in 56 games, as he's had a nice bounceback season after suffering a torn ACL in June of 2019.
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Brandon Belt DH | TOR
Giants' Brandon Belt: Two-hit performance Saturday
Belt went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Saturday's loss against San Diego.
Belt started another hitting streak and has hit safely in seven of the Giants' last eight games. Despite enduring a slow start to the season, Belt will end the 2020 campaign as one of San Francisco's top offensive threats. He enters the final game of the year hitting .315 with a 1.032 OPS, each of which are career-best marks for the 32-year-old veteran.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Launches three-run homer
Pederson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's win over the Angels.
Pederson went deep for the first time since Sept. 4, but he is hitting a meager .147 in 12 games this month and enters the final game of the regular season hitting well below the Mendoza Line at .185 with a career-worst .671 OPS in 42 games.