MLB Player News
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Mark Vientos 1B | NYM
Mets' Mark Vientos: Joins roster pool
The Mets added Vientos to their 60-man roster pool Sunday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
A 2020 big-league debut won't be in the forecast for Vientos, who has yet to play above the Low-A level. That said, his inclusion in roster pool is an indication that he's one of the more valued lower-level prospects in the Mets' farm system. He'll report to the Mets' alternate training site to get regular at-bats in simulated games after the 2020 minor-league season was cancelled.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Returns from shoulder injury
Buxton (shoulder) was activated off the injured list as expected Tuesday and will bat seventh and play center field against the White Sox.
Buxton will wind up missing just shy of two weeks with shoulder inflammation. He'd struggled to a .221/.225/.456 slash line prior to the injury, with that low on-base percentage giving him the opportunity to attempt just two steals in 21 games, but he should nevertheless be the Twins' everyday center fielder going forward.
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Ji-Man Choi 1B | NYM
Rays' Ji-Man Choi: Leading off Tuesday
Choi (illness) will lead off and play first base Tuesday against the Yankees.
A stomach bug forced Choi to leave Monday's game early, but the issue was evidently a minor one, as he's back in the lineup without missing any starts. Choi started the season slowly but has raised his OPS from .662 to .751 over his last four games.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Sits again Tuesday
Martinez (hand) remains on the bench Tuesday against Atlanta, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Martinez's X-rays were negative after he got struck in the hand by a pitch Sunday against the Nationals, but he'll now sit for the second straight game. He's feeling better after some treatment, however, and could return to the lineup Wednesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. Yairo Munoz will serve as the designated hitter in his absence.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Reds' Jesse Winker: Serving one-game suspension
Winker is serving his one-game suspension Tuesday against the Cardinals, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Winker was appealing his suspension, but he'll elect to serve it against St. Louis on Tuesday, with left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim starting for the Cardinals. He should be available Wednesday.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Reds' Jesse Winker: Sits against southpaw
Winker is not starting Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.
Winker has a one-game suspension hanging over his head, stemming from an ejection Saturday, though he appealed the punishment and was in the lineup Monday. There has yet to be a report that he lost the appeal, so his day off Tuesday seems to be just be a routine one with a lefty (Kwang-Hyun Kim) starting for the Cardinals.
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Luis Torrens C | NYM
Mariners' Luis Torrens: Slated for primary catching duties
Torrens, who was acquired from the Padres on Sunday, is slated to serve as the primary catcher for the balance of the regular season, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.
Torrens is considered an above-average defender behind the dish and solid hitter for a catcher, even as he's yet to have a chance to fully demonstrate the latter at the big-league level. Torrens was thrown into the fire by the Padres back in 2017 as a Rule 5 Draft rookie after not having yet played above Low-A ball, and he unsurprisingly limped to a .163/.243/.203 line across 56 games. However, Torrens slashed an impressive .300/.373/.500 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI over 97 games at Double-A Amarillo last season, and he's now expected to get the majority of the starts in September with Austin Nola having been shipped to San Diego. Torrens is presently undergoing COVID-19 testing protocol.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Coming off IL on Tuesday
The Twins plan to activate Buxton (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the White Sox, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Minnesota stood pat prior to Monday's trade deadline, but the club will get some key reinforcements in the next couple of days as it looks to solidify its standing near the top of the American League playoff picture. Along with Buxton, Michael Pineda (suspension) is scheduled to join the active roster Tuesday, while Josh Donaldson (calf) is on track to come off the IL on Wednesday. Buxton should immediately step back in as the Twins' everyday center fielder, leaving fewer starts available for Jake Cave and LaMonte Wade. Before landing on the IL with the inflamed left shoulder, Buxton was slashing .221/.225/.456 over 71 plate appearances.
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Nick Solak DH | SD
Rangers' Nick Solak: Filling in at second
Solak will be the primary starter at second base while Rougned Odor (eye) is on the injured list, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
Solak has moved around the field since the start of the 2020 season, recently seeing time in left field, but he's started the last four games in place of Odor.
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Ji-Man Choi 1B | NYM
Rays' Ji-Man Choi: Stomach issues lead to Monday exit
Manager Kevin Cash said that Choi left Monday's win over the Yankees with stomach issues, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Choi had himself a huge game before being replaced by Mike Brosseau in the bottom of the ninth, going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, three RBI and two runs scored. At first glance, it appeared as if the substitution might have been a simple move for defensive reasons, but it sounds like the slugger was dealing with some sort of discomfort related to his stomach. Until further update, however, it does not seem likely that Choi will be held out beyond Monday.