MLB Player News
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: On bench for regular-season finale
Harper is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
The veteran slugger didn't start Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader and will sit again Sunday for the final game of the regular season with the Phillies looking toward the playoffs. Harper is likely to close the campaign with a .293/.401/.499 slash line, 21 homers, 11 steals, 72 RBI and 84 runs in 126 games.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Resting again for finale
Stanton is not in Sunday's lineup against the Royals.
He will likely end up not getting an at-bat during the final series of the season, as New York is giving most of the at-bats to the less proven position players on the roster. Stanton did not have a multi-hit game in September and hit .136 with four home runs, seven runs and nine RBI in 68 at-bats during the month.
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Harold Ramirez DH | WAS
Rays' Harold Ramirez: Homers, reaches three times
Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Saturday's victory over the Blue Jays.
Ramirez singled in his first two at-bats and came around to score Tampa Bay's second run of the game on a Josh Lowe double in the third. The outfielder then launched a two-run shot in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4, marking just his third home since June 8. Ramirez has now recorded multiple hits in two of his last four games, driving in four runs over that stretch.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Braves' Marcell Ozuna: Swats three-run homer
Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a triple and a three-run home run in Saturday's win over the Nationals.
Ozuna tagged Jordan Weems for a three-run shot in the fifth inning, marking the outfielder's 38th long ball of 2023. Over his last 12 games, Ozuna is 17-for-49 (.347) with four home runs and 15 RBI while striking out at a 26.4 percent clip.
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Christopher Morel 1B | MIA
Cubs' Christopher Morel: Blasts 26th home run
Morel went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Brewers.
Following up his 16-homer season as a rookie in 2022, Morel now has 26 home runs this year, and he's also boosted his batting average and OPS in his second MLB campaign. The 24-year-old has struck out more than 30 percent of the time in his first two seasons, however, which is something fantasy managers will want to see him improve upon moving forward.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Giants' Joc Pederson: Sits against Kershaw
Pederson will be on the bench against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Pederson seldom starts against southpaws, so it's no surprise to see him on the bench Saturday along with the rest of the Giants' lefties. Austin Slater will serve as the designated hitter.
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Mitch Garver DH | SEA
Rangers' Mitch Garver: Not in starting nine
Garver will hit the bench Saturday against Seattle.
Garver hasn't caught a game since Sept. 2 but has served as the designated hitter for all but two games since that date. After a pair of hitless outings, he's seemingly due for a rest, so Robbie Grossman will take his spot in the lineup.
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Mike Ford DH | MIN
Mariners' Mike Ford: Sits against southpaw
Ford will hit the bench against lefty Andrew Heaney and the Rangers on Saturday.
Ford hasn't started once against a southpaw all season, and he won't get to break that trend on the penultimate day of the regular season. Sam Haggerty will handle designated hitter duties in his absence.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Sits again Saturday
Stanton remains on the bench for Saturday's game against the Royals, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
With the Yankees eliminated from the playoffs, the team is prioritizing giving at-bats to younger players, sitting the 33-year-old Stanton twice in a row. Even if the Yankees did have something to play for, they might not want to give everyday at-bats to a player who's hit .191/.275/.420 in 101 games this season. His 89 wRC+ sets a career low by a wide margin over his 116 wRC+ from last season and doesn't bode well for him heading into his age-34 campaign.