MLB Player News
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Sitting out first game of twin bill
Baez is not in the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Mets.
Zach McKinstry will get the start at shortstop in place of Baez. Baez is just 3-for-16 with a 6:0 K:BB in the early going this season. He'll likely be back at shortstop for the second contest Thursday.
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Josh H. Smith SS | TEX
Rangers' Josh Smith: Starts at shortstop
Smith started at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Rays.
Smith filled in for Corey Seager, who served as the designated hitter Wednesday. Smith is also expected to get starts at third base while Josh Jung (wrist) takes 8-to-10 weeks to recover following surgery.
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Ezequiel Duran SS | TEX
Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Starts at third base
Duran started at third base and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Tampa Bay.
The Rangers have used Duran and Josh Smith at third base following Josh Jung's wrist injury and subsequent surgery. His recovery time was pushed out Wednesday from six weeks to eight-to-10 weeks. Justin Foscue was called up and could get time at the hot corner as well.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Continues strong start
Pena went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in an 8-0 victory versus Toronto on Wednesday.
Pena knocked an RBI single in the fifth inning, then went deep with a two-run blast in the seventh. The long ball was the second across the shortstop's past three games, and he's knocked in six runs over that stretch. Pena has four multi-hit games on the campaign and is slashing .400/.444/.680 through 27 plate appearances.
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Corey Seager SS | TEX
Rangers' Corey Seager: Launches first home run
Seager went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the Rays.
Leading off the sixth inning, Seager snapped a scoreless tie with a long ball that just snuck inside the right-field foul pole for his first home run of the campaign. The 29-year-old Seager has shown few signs of rust despite being limited by injuries during spring training -- he's now 8-for-22 (.364 average) with four runs scored and three RBI to start the season after slashing .327/.390/.623 with 33 homers and 96 RBI in 2023.
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Grae Kessinger 3B | ARI
Astros' Grae Kessinger: Makes season debut Monday
Kessinger (hamstring) grounded out in his lone plate appearance in Monday's 10-0 loss to the Blue Jays.
Kessinger didn't see make any Grapefruit League or exhibition appearances after March 18 while he recovered from a right hamstring strain, but he showcased enough improvement last week to be included on the Astros' Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder. With the Astros building a 10-run lead after seven innings, Kessinger got the chance to make his season debut in the bottom of the eighth as a pinch hitter for designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. He's still waiting to make his debut in the field, but Kessinger at least looks to be healthy now.
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Jon Berti 3B | CHC
Yankees' Jon Berti: Takes seat in third straight game
Berti is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Berti will stay on the bench for a third game in a row after making his first start with the Yankees in 4-3 win over the Astros on Sunday, when he went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Though DJ LeMahieu (foot) is facing an uncertain timeline for a return, Berti looks like he'll be ticketed for a utility role while the hot-hitting Oswaldo Cabrera operates as the club's primary third baseman.
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Paul DeJong SS | NYY
White Sox's Paul DeJong: Losing reps to Shewmake
DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
DeJong will take a seat against a right-handed starting pitcher (Spencer Strider) for the second day in a row and looks to be moving into a short-side platoon role at shortstop with the lefty-hitting Braden Shewmake. DeJong has just two hits through 11 at-bats this season, though both knocks have been solo home runs.
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Jorge Mateo SS | ATL
Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Another start against lefty
Mateo will start in center field and bat seventh in Wednesday's game versus Kansas City.
Mateo has yet to start a game versus a right-hander, but he's been in the starting nine all three times the Orioles have faced southpaws thus far. He manned second base in his first two starts but will handle center field Wednesday while the lefty-hitting Cedric Mullins gets a breather against Royals southpaw Cole Ragans.
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Braden Shewmake SS | NYY
White Sox's Braden Shewmake: Drawing another start at shortstop
Shewmake will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Wednesday's game versus Atlanta.
Shewmake will get his second straight start at shortstop, and he has now been in the lineup four of the five times the White Sox have faced a right-hander. He could be overtaking Paul DeJong as Chicago's preferred option at shortstop, at least against righties.