MLB Player News
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Leonardo Jimenez SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Leo Jimenez: Tending to sore foot
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Jimenez is tending to a left foot injury, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. "He's pretty sore pushing off of [the foot]," Schneider said. So we want to be careful with it."
Even though he typically starts against left-handed pitchers like the Mets' Sean Manaea, Jimenez will take a seat for Wednesday's series finale after he was hit in the foot in Tuesday's 6-2 win. Jimenez has now been struck by pitches in four consecutive games and five times in seven September contests, so the infielder should benefit from a day off. The lefty-hitting Will Wagner will pick up a rare start against a lefty Wednesday in Jimenez's stead.
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Leonardo Jimenez SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Leo Jimenez: Back on bench Wednesday
Jimenez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Jimenez had started in five of the previous six games, but he'll take a seat Wednesday as the Blue Jays go with Will Wagner and Ernie Clement as their starters at the middle-infield spots. The right-handed-hitting Jimenez has mostly been deployed on the short side of a platoon in the infield with either Wagner or Addison Barger, but Jimenez could lose out on that role when shortstop Bo Bichette (calf) returns from the injured list.
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Jacob Amaya SS | CHW
White Sox's Jacob Amaya: Carving out regular role
Amaya will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Wednesday's game versus the Guardians.
Amaya will make a fourth consecutive start at the shortstop position, and he'll have started 11 of the last 12. He's hitting just .233/.281/.267 so far with the Pale Hose and profiles as more of a utility infielder over the long haul, but Amaya should continue to receive regular reps down the stretch for the rebuilding White Sox.
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Slugs 21st home run
Neto went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and a double in Tuesday's 10-5 loss at Minnesota.
The Angels shortstop collected the game's first hit when he laced his 31st double of the season in the first inning. Neto later launched a 428-foot, three-run blast off starter Pablo Lopez to pull Los Angeles within two runs. The 23-year-old has rounded into a fantasy star in the second half, hitting .272 (46-for-169) with nine homers, nine doubles, 15 steals, 29 runs scored and 28 RBI across 48 games. Overall, Neto is now slashing .258/.328/.455 with 21 homers, 29 steals, 66 runs scored and 70 RBI in 543 plate appearances.
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Franklin Arias SS | BOS
Red Sox's Franklin Arias: Wrapping up strong age-18 season
Arias is slashing .309/.409/.487 with nine home runs, 35 steals on 41 attempts and a 65:50 K:BB in 87 games across the Florida Complex League and Carolina League.
The 18-year-old shortstop understandably did much more damage in the FCL (1.055 OPS) than after his July 23 promotion to Single-A Salem (.709 OPS), but it's still an accomplishment for him to be holding his own against Single-A pitching. Arias came into the year as a hit-over-power shortstop who had a strong chance of sticking at the position, and while that is all still true, he was more impressive with the bat and more prolific on the bases than expected.
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Brayan Rocchio SS | CLE
Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Registers steal in win
Rocchio went 0-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Monday's 5-3 win over the White Sox.
Rocchio has gone 7-for-18 (.389) with two home runs, five RBI and four walks over seven games in September. That has helped him gain a majority of the playing time at shortstop, though he still faces a small threat from Daniel Schneemann. Rocchio hit just .206 in August and is at a .214/.304/.328 slash line with eight homers, 10 steals, 32 RBI and 48 runs scored through 127 contests this season.
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Ceddanne Rafaela CF | BOS
Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Knocks in four in win
Rafaela started in center field and went 2-for-4 with a double, four RBI and a run scored in Monday's 12-3 win over the Orioles.
Rafaela gave Boston separation late in the game with a two-run single in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the eighth. It was assumed he'd move to second base with the return of shortstop Trevor Story from the 60-day injured list, but Rafaela has played only center field since, while Romy Gonzalez and Enmanuel Valdez handled second. Rafaela could eventually shift back to the infield, and it would seem to make sense as the Red Sox have a several outfield/DH bats that would be more dangerous in the lineup than the Gonzalez/Valdez duo.