MLB Player News
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Brent Rooker DH | ATH
Athletics' Brent Rooker: Undergoes forearm surgery
Athletics general manager David Forst revealed Friday that Rooker underwent right forearm extensor surgery Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Rooker evidently dealt with discomfort in his elbow/forearm for the bulk of the season. It certainly didn't affect his performance at the plate, as he posted a .927 OPS with 39 home runs, but it could be at least part of the reason he didn't start a game in the outfield after May. Rooker is expected to be 100 percent healthy for the start of spring training.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Braves' Marcell Ozuna: Option will be exercised
Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that the team plans to exercise Ozuna's $16 million club option for 2025, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.
The decision was a gimme after Ozuna slashed .302/.378/.546 with 39 home runs and 104 RBI in 2024. The veteran slugger didn't play a single inning in the outfield this season, so Jorge Soler will have to play the outfield in 2025 if Atlanta intends on him being a regular next season. It's not ideal from a defensive standpoint, but Atlanta wasn't going to let Ozuna walk after he was the team's best offensive player in 2024.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Mets' J.D. Martinez: Starting at DH
Martinez will start at designated hitter and bat sixth Wednesday in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Brewers, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Martinez yielded to Jesse Winker at designated hitter in Game 1, although he came off the bench to deliver a two-run single. The 37-year-old put up just a .368 OPS in September for the Mets.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Mets' J.D. Martinez: Absent from Game 1 lineup
Martinez is not in the lineup Tuesday for Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Brewers, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Martinez saw his playing time cut down the stretch of the regular season as he struggled to a .368 OPS in September. Jesse Winker had similar struggles in the final month but will get a shot at designated hitter in Game 1 versus righty Freddy Peralta.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: In Game 1 lineup
Alvarez (knee) will start at designated hitter and bat second Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Tigers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez missed the final week of the regular season with a right knee sprain, but he's progressed sufficiently enough to be included on the Astros' wild-card series roster and in their Game 1 lineup. The 27-year-old slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 home runs in 147 games this season.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Will hit, run Monday to test knee
Alvarez (knee) will do some hitting and running Monday at Minute Maid Park to test out his potential availability for the wild-card series, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Astros manager Joe Espada had said Sunday that Alvarez was going to take batting practice Monday, and now he's revealed that the slugger will do some running, too. How he feels during and after the workout will determine whether Alvarez will be part of the team's roster for the first round of the postseason. Alvarez has missed a little over a week of action with a right knee sprain.
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Alec Burleson LF | STL
Cardinals' Alec Burleson: Drives in three in win
Burleson went 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBI in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Giants.
Burleson hit an RBI single in the fifth inning and drove in two more runs with another single in the sixth. While he was a bright spot for most of 2024 for the Cardinals, Burleson hit just .202 and slugged a mere .226 in September while slipping back into a strong-side platoon role. He finishes the year with a .269/.314/.420 slash line, 21 home runs, 78 RBI, 71 runs scored, 20 doubles and nine stolen bases over 152 games.
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Dustin Harris 1B | CHW
Rangers' Dustin Harris: Shines against Angels
Harris went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Angels.
Harris' first career hit was a two-run double in the seventh inning. He then belted his first MLB homer in the ninth. It was Harris' second appearance for the Rangers, and before his late-September promotion, he'd posted a .749 OPS through 131 games for Triple-A Round Rock.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Finishes with 59 steals
Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rockies.
Ohtani swiped 11 bases over his last 11 games of the season, ending the year with 59 steals on 63 attempts. He hit a mind-blowing .583 (28-for-48) in that span while adding six home runs and 20 RBI. He played in a career-high 159 games, posting a .310/.390/.646 slash line with 54 homers, 130 RBI, 134 runs scored, 38 doubles and seven triples. By most measures, it was a career year for Ohtani at the plate, and he will look to continue leading the Dodgers' offense as he gets ready for his first MLB postseason.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Set for hitting work Monday
Alvarez (knee) is expected to take part in some hitting work with the Astros on Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez has been working his way back from a right knee sprain that he suffered Sept. 22. The lefty slugger still has some boxes to check, but manager Joe Espada is more optimistic than he was earlier in the week that Alvarez will be able to contribute to Houston's postseason efforts. The Astros will begin their wild-card series with the Tigers in Houston on Tuesday, but as yet it's unclear if Alvarez will be available.