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Brad Miller DH | SD
Brewers' Brad Miller: Big game Tuesday
Miller went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs in Monday's victory over the Twins.
Miller made his presence felt Monday, most notably by taking a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to secure a walk-off victory for his club. Miller started the last five games and has injected some life into the Brewers' offense -- albeit in a small sample size -- posting a .941 OPS over 33 plate appearances since joining the club. He figures to continue starting frequently against right-handers as long as he continues to produce at the plate.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Tallies three hits Sunday
Pederson went 3-for-4 with a double in Sunday's 6-4 win over Colorado.
Pederson's three-hit day upped his slash line to .268/.348/.548 through 76 games. The 26-year-old had been receiving sporadic playing time over the first half of the season, but that is about to change following Sunday's announcement of a lineup shuffle. Manager Dave Roberts named Max Muncy the club's primary second baseman against right-handed starters, which will allow Cody Bellinger to move back to first base and open up center field to Pederson. The young slugger will still cede starts to Enrique Hernandez and Bellinger against southpaws, but this development gives Pederson a clear path to semi-regular playing time.
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Brandon Belt DH | TOR
Giants' Brandon Belt: Reaches base five times
Belt went 2-for-3 with three walks, a double and two RBI on Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
Belt walked a season-high three times and has now earned a walk in four consecutive games, raising his on-base percentage to .393 for the season. Despite slumping initially after coming off the disabled list, Belt has now recorded 14 hits in 55 at-bats since June 16 and has two multi-hit performances in his past four games.
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Charlie Blackmon RF | COL
Rockies' Charlie Blackmon: Sitting out series finale
Blackmon is out of the lineup Sunday against the Dodgers, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
There aren't any reports that an injury is in play for Blackmon, so his absence likely stems from his poor form at the plate of late. Blackmon has gone 4-for-28 over the past seven games and hasn't received an off-day since May 15, so manager Bud Black decided the two-time All-Star could benefit from a breather. Raimel Tapia will cover center field with Blackmon on the bench.
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Brad Miller DH | SD
Brewers' Brad Miller: Leading off in third straight game
Miller will start at shortstop and serve as the Brewers' leadoff man in Sunday's game against the Reds.
Miller has appeared in all seven of the Brewers' games since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on June 23, starting in five of them. He'll draw his fourth straight start Sunday and appears to be the club's primary shortstop for the time being, with the demotion of Orlando Arcia to Triple-A prior to the series finale giving Miller additional job security. Miller will also lead off for the third consecutive game, though he'll be at risk at dropping in the order if Lorenzo Cain (groin) returns from the disabled list Wednesday against the Twins when first eligible, as is expected.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Reds' Jesse Winker: Not in starting lineup
Winker is out of the lineup Sunday against the Brewers, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
After starting the first three games of the series, Winker will head to the bench in favor of Adam Duvall (left) and Scott Schebler (right). It was a productive June for the 24-year-old outfielder, as Winker had a .944 OPS with five home runs and 20 RBI.
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Andrew McCutchen DH | TEX
Giants' Andrew McCutchen: Records three hits, homer
McCutchen went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored Saturday against the Diamondbacks.
McCutchen's slugging percentage and batting average both increased significantly throughout June, so it was appropriate the he ended the month on a strong note. He has 12 three-hit performances and six home runs in the past 30 days, so it appears that he may once again break out of an early-season slump to post solid season-long numbers.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Not in lineup Saturday
Turner will get the day off Saturday against the Rockies.
Turner has eight hits and three homers in his last last 19 at-bats but will nonetheless take a seat. Max Muncy will slide over to third base in his place.
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Yoenis Cespedes DH | NYM
Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Still not running
Cespedes (hip/quad) has still not begun running again, and he didn't join his teammates in the clubhouse for this weekend's series in Miami despite the fact that he's rehabbing at the Mets' spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, just a couple of hours away, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports. "He's not going to join us here in Miami," manager Mickey Callaway announced Friday afternoon. "We thought it would probably hinder his rehab to come here for a couple days. We'll keep him in Port St. Lucie and continue what he's doing."
Unfortunately, what Cespedes is doing right now still doesn't amount to much, and his timetable for a return to the big-league lineup remains very murky. Callaway did say the outfielder was "feeling a lot better," but given his inactivity and long layoff, activation from the disabled list before the All-Star break is basically off the table at this point, and it's possible Cespedes may not even return by the end of July if he doesn't show real progress soon.
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Bryce Harper 1B | PHI
Nationals' Bryce Harper: Cranks 20th homer Friday
Harper went 1-for-3 with three walks, three runs scored and three RBI in Friday's rout of the Phillies.
The homer was his first since June 9 and his 20th of the season, moving Harper into a tie with Nolan Arenado for the National League lead. While he hasn't been putting the ball over the fence much, Harper has otherwise looked like his usual self recently, slashing .290/.465/.613 over his last 10 games with eight of his nine hits going for extra bases (seven doubles, one home run) and an 11:9 BB:K.