MLB Player News
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Pops 14th homer
Betts went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 7-0 win over the Reds.
Betts logged his fourth multi-hit effort over his last six games, a span in which he has gone 10-for-25 (.400) at the plate. He's up to 14 homers on the year, including three over 22 contests in August. The 32-year-old has added 58 RBI, 79 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 17 doubles, one triple and a .250/.320/.378 slash line over 121 games. While it's been a challenging year, Betts looks to have his hitting back on track in time for the stretch run.
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa 2B | TOR
Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Resting up Monday
Kiner-Falefa is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.
Kiner-Falefa will retreat to the bench for the series opener in St. Louis after he started in each of the last three contests. Jared Triolo will cover third base Monday in Kiner-Falefa's stead, which opens up shortstop for Liover Peguero.
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Joseph Ortiz 2B | MIL
Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Hopes to return when first eligible
Ortiz (hamstring) fielded grounders Monday and hopes to be activated from the 10-day injured list when first eligible Sept. 1, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Ortiz suffered a left hamstring strain last Thursday and was placed on the IL on Friday. He'll have to show he can ramp up his running without issue before convincing the Brewers he'll need only a minimum-length absence, but Ortiz seems to be doing well during the early stages of his recovery.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Returns to St. Louis lineup
Winn (knee) will start at shortstop and bat second in Monday's game versus the Pirates.
Winn missed Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Rays and underwent an MRI earlier Monday while he manages nagging soreness in his left knee. The imaging revealed improvement in the condition of the knee from a previous MRI, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, and Winn will continue to manage the issue on a day-to-day basis based on pain tolerance.
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Willy Adames SS | SF
Giants' Willy Adames: Logs seventh stolen base in win
Adames went 2-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Brewers.
Adames singled to center field in the sixth and subsequently stole second base. The shortstop added another single in the eighth, marking his second multi-hit performance in the Giants' three-game series in Milwaukee. Adames' recent success is an encouraging sign, as he has struggled to stay consistent throughout August, slashing .160/.269/.383 with 13 runs scored, eight RBI, six homers, three stolen bases and a 30.1 percent strikeout rate across 93 plate appearances in 21 games.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Set for MRI
Winn will undergo an MRI on his injured left knee Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Winn has been playing through soreness in the knee since around the All-Star break and was scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Rays due to renewed discomfort. He underwent an MRI in July which "showed a little something," per Winn, and he'll have imaging on the knee again Monday. The shortstop hopes to return to the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates, but more will be known regarding Winn's condition after the MRI results are in. If Winn has to miss additional time, Thomas Saggese would likely handle the bulk of the reps at shortstop for the Cardinals.
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Gets on base four times
Betts went 3-for-4 with a walk and one run scored in Sunday's 8-2 win over the Padres.
Betts has logged multiple hits eight times over his last 17 games, and he's added a 7:4 BB:K in that span to help his turnaround at the plate. However, over six contests versus the Padres in that stretch, Betts went a modest 5-for-21 (.238), so it's mildly concerning that he's having trouble against the Dodgers' main competition for the NL West lead. Sunday's effort lifted Betts' slash line to .248/.318/.371 through 120 contests this season.
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Andruw Monasterio 3B | MIL
Brewers' Andruw Monasterio: Claiming third straight start
Monasterio will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Giants.
The 28-year-old will stay in the lineup for a third straight game after Joey Ortiz (hamstring) was placed on the injured list Friday. Monasterio is batting a respectable .257 over 80 plate appearances this season, but he doesn't bring much power or speed to the table and is unlikely to offer much fantasy value while typically slotting in near the bottom of the Milwaukee lineup.
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Maximo Acosta SS | MIA
Marlins' Maximo Acosta: Back on bench in Lopez's return
Acosta is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
After getting called up from Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday, Acosta proceeded to start five consecutive games across three different spots in the infield while going 2-for-15 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk. Acosta projects to fill a utility role now that starting shortstop Otto Lopez (illness) has been cleared to rejoin the lineup Sunday after sitting out the previous three contests.
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Otto Lopez SS | MIA
Marlins' Otto Lopez: Rejoining lineup Sunday
Lopez (illness) will start at shortstop and bat fifth Sunday against the Blue Jays.
Lopez was held out of the starting nine in the previous three games due to a stomach illness, but he's good to go for the series finale versus Toronto. The 26-year-old has struggled to a .189/.250/.230 slash line with just three extra-base hits (all doubles) through 21 games in August.