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Matt Carpenter DH | STL
Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Smacks two-run double Saturday
Carpenter went 1-for-4 with a two-run double and a walk in an extra-inning win over the Cubs on Saturday.
Carpenter laced a fourth-inning two-bagger to deep left that plated Kolten Wong and Harrison Bader, knotting the game at 4-4 at the time. The 32-year-old continues to struggle at the plate overall, however, as his season line remains a dreadful .165/.320/.320 through 122 plate appearances. An elevated 26.2 percent strikeout rate that currently serves as a career high and a .203 BABIP are undeniably playing a significant role in his season-long struggles.
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Yoenis Cespedes DH | NYM
Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Early exit Sunday
Cespedes was lifted early from Sunday's matchup against the Rockies, David Lennon of Newsday reports.
Cespedes collected a single in his first at-bat of the day, and ultimately advanced to third base and scored on a sacrifice fly. The exact reason Cespedes left is unclear at this time, but for now he'll be replaced by Brandon Nimmo in left field.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Takes meaningful step in rehab
Turner (wrist) will take on-field batting practice Sunday for the first time since suffering the injury, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Turner hit in the batting cages without issue Saturday, so this was the logical next step in his recovery from a non-displaced fracture of his left wrist. Should everything go on as planned, Turner would presumably begin a rehab assignment either this week or next, while still aiming for a mid-May activation.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Gets first day off of 2018
Stanton is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Stanton will head to the bench for the first time all season, with the Yankees' off day Monday likely contributing to manager Aaron Boone's decision to rest the slugger. While Stanton continues to strike out at a prolific rate, he has at least been supplying power of late with seven extra-base hits in his past 13 starts.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Takes batting practice Saturday
Buxton (toe) participated in Minnesota's batting practice Saturday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton indicated he hopes to avoid an additional minor-league rehab assignment, and he's already played one game at High-A Fort Myers and multiple games at extended spring training in late April. The 24-year-old resumed running Friday and still has no definitive return timetable, but he appears to be nearing his return.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Confirmed for Sunday's start
Ohtani will take the mound Sunday against the Mariners, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ohtani suffered a mild left ankle spain April 27 against the Yankees and hasn't pitched since April 24, but he's served as designated hitter each of the past four games. The 23-year-old will be out of the lineup Saturday due to him taking the mound Sunday.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Cardinals' Marcell Ozuna: On base four times Friday
Ozuna went 3-for-3 with a walk in a win over the Cubs on Friday.
Although all three hits were singles, it was nevertheless an encouraging outing for the prized offseason acquisition whose OBP still sits at an anemic .285. Despite a surprising lack of power to date (two home runs over 123 plate appearances), Ozuna has still been productive while compiling 17 RBI, and he's now posted multi-hit efforts in three of his last seven games.
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Brad Miller DH | SD
Rays' Brad Miller: Slugs homer Friday
Miller entered Friday's win over the Blue Jays in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer.
Miller grounded out in his official pinch-hit at-bat, but he hit again an inning later and blasted a 425-foot shot to right center. The veteran infielder's average sat at .184 as recently as April 22, but he's boosted it 51 points over the subsequent nine games by hitting safely in eight of those contests.
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Jorge Soler DH | LAA
Royals' Jorge Soler: Drives in two Friday
Soler went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in Friday's win over the Tigers.
Soler's two-run hit came in the eighth inning and broke a 2-2 tie. He's now riding a 10-game hitting streak, bringing his batting average up to .309 in the process. The young outfielder has four home runs and 12 RBI on the season and has impressively worked 19 walks in 119 plate-appearances, which has helped him to achieve a .429 on-base percentage.
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Bryce Harper 1B | PHI
Nationals' Bryce Harper: Blasts two more homers Friday
Harper went 2-for-5 with two home run and three RBI in Friday's 7-3 win over the Phillies.
He took Nick Pivetta yard in the first and second innings, the latter of which traveled an estimated 473 feet. Harper now has 12 home runs on the season, including four in his last four games, and the impending return of Anthony Rendon (toe) to the lineup could give manager Dave Martinez the excuse he needs to move Harper back to the heart of the order from his current leadoff spot.