MLB Player News
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Day off Tuesday
Turner is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
The 36-year-old started the last seven games and will take a seat Tuesday after going 10-for-28 with two homers, four doubles and five RBI during that stretch. Edwin Rios will start at the hot corner in Turner's place versus Colorado.
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Yermin Mercedes DH | SF
White Sox's Yermin Mercedes: Out of Tuesday's lineup
Mercedes is not in Tuesday's lineup against Cleveland.
Mercedes has reached base in every game he has played in this season and is just getting a routine day off. Jake Lamb draws the start at designated hitter and will bat seventh.
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Kyle Lewis DH | ARI
Mariners' Kyle Lewis: Could be back for homestand
Manager Scott Servais said that Lewis (knee) could be ready to return from the 10-day injured list ahead of the Mariners' upcoming homestand, which begins Friday against the Astros, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
Reports on Lewis were positive after he took four at-bats in a simulated game Monday, so he looks to be nearing the finish line in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee. Lewis will likely need to play in another simulated game or two before getting the green light from Seattle's training staff, but once activated, he should step back into an everyday role in center field.
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Nick Solak DH | SD
Rangers' Nick Solak: Dropped to seventh
Solak batted seventh and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Monday's 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay.
Many of the Rangers' young hitters are having contact issues to start the 2021 season, and Solak is no exception. He had a strikeout rate of 19.2 percent over 2019 and 2020, but that's shot up to 42.5 percent with 17 punch-outs over 40 plate appearances. "He's trying way too hard to make things happen instead of letting them happen," manager Chris Woodward said.
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Michael Brantley LF | HOU
Astros' Michael Brantley: Hits second home run
Brantley went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Tigers.
Brantley, who launched his second homer of the season in the eighth inning, was one of the few offensive bright spots for the Astros, who were shut down for seven innings by promising young starter Casey Mize. Brantley has gone 3-for-17 in the four games since returning from a wrist injury.
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Mark Canha LF | TEX
Athletics' Mark Canha: Swipes bag in win
Canha went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, a steal and two runs scored in Monday's 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks.
Canha reached in each of his first two at-bats, as he doubled down the left-field line in the first and drew a walk in the third. Canha has gotten on at least twice in each of his last four games, slashing .375/.500/.625 with a home run, two RBI and six runs scored over that span. His stolen base Monday was a rarity, as his career high in steals was seven during his rookie year in 2015. Most of his fantasy value is derived from his power and above-average on-base ability.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Reds' Jesse Winker: Homers in return
Winker went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's 3-0 win over the Giants.
Winker made his return to the lineup Monday after being held out the last two games following an early departure Friday with calf cramps. The 27-year-old launched a two-run homer to straightaway center in the third to get things rolling for the Reds. Winker has had a scorching start to the season, as he's 8-for-16 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI and five runs scored. The Reds have a bit of a crowded outfield with Winker, Tyler Naquin, Nick Senzel and Nick Castellanos all readily available, so it may be tough for Winker to find consistent playing time with all four outfielders hitting the ball well to begin the year.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Reaches 119 mph exit velocity
Ohtani went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in Monday's win over the Royals.
Ohtani's two-run double in the seventh inning had an exit velocity of 119 mph. As Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com notes, Ohtani is just the fifth player to reach 119 mph since Statcast was introduced in 2015. The other four: Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Nelson Cruz. A blister on Ohtani's right middle finger is keeping the two-way star off the mound in games, but Bollinger reports the Angels are hopeful Ohtani will be able to pitch by early next week.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Cubs' Joc Pederson: Reaches base twice, scores in loss
Pederson went 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in Monday's loss to the Brewers.
Pederson is still batting just .129 this season but he has now reached base in six straight games. The outfielder likely won't supply a great batting average anyways, but it'd be nice if he started producing more counting stats, as he's tallied just one home run, two runs scored and four RBI in 10 games for his new team. The whole Chicago lineup has been struggling, which has limited Pederson's chances to do much damage.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Throws light bullpen session
Ohtani threw a light, 10-pitch bullpen session Monday without a bandage on his blistered finger, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The blister scratched Ohtani from his scheduled Sunday start against the Blue Jays. He hasn't been ruled out from starting sometime later this week, and the bullpen session does represent some amount of progress, but he's likely to need a longer session before returning to game action. He's been able to hit despite the blister and remains the starting designated hitter Monday against the Royals.