MLB Player News
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Jon Berti 3B | CHC
Marlins' Jon Berti: Starts at shortstop in Game 1
Berti is starting at shortstop and batting eighth Tuesday in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies.
Garrett Hampson drew the majority of starts at shortstop in the closing weeks of the 2023 regular season, but the Marlins will ride the hot hand with Berti after he slashed .500/.609/.944 with four homers and two steals across his final 46 plate appearances of the regular season. Hampson is on the bench in Game 1, with Luis Arraez (ankle) returning at second base and Jake Burger manning third base. Joey Wendle will also ride the pine.
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Marco Luciano SS | NYY
Giants' Marco Luciano: Could open '24 as main shortstop
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Tuesday that Luciano will be given the chance to open the 2024 season as the team's everyday shortstop, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.
Luciano mostly struggled offensively between his two different stints in the majors this season, but the 22-year-old owns a career .834 OPS in the minors and tallied 15 homers in 74 games this summer between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. He also has a bit of speed and an improving defensive reputation.
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Jordan Lawlar SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Makes roster for wild-card series
Lawlar has made the roster for the Diamondbacks' NL Wild Card Series matchup against the Brewers.
Lawlar went 4-for-31 (.129) with zero extra-base hits after being promoted Sept. 7 from Triple-A Reno, but he is a highly talented 21-year-old infielder with the ability to provide a spark off the bench. Prior to his call-up last month, Lawlar registered an .874 OPS with 20 homers and 36 steals in 105 games this summer between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
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Casey Schmitt SS | SF
Giants' Casey Schmitt: Homers twice in finale
Schmitt went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Dodgers.
Schmitt was responsible for all of San Francisco's offense in the loss. He got the Giants on the board with a homer off Ryan Pepiot in the sixth inning, just his second in his last 86 games, before adding another long ball in the fifth. After going 26-for-76 (.342) with a .851 OPS in his first 20 major-league games, Schmidt struggled to a .147 average (26-for-177) in his final 70 contests. The 24-year-old infielder will wrap up his rookie campaign with a .206/.255/.324 slash line, five homers, 30 RBI and two stolen bases across 277 plate appearances.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Swipes two bags Sunday
Abrams went 2-for-6 with an RBI, a run and two steals in Sunday's 10-9 win over Atlanta.
Abrams finished off 2023 with back-to-back multi-hit efforts and cemented his name in the franchise record books. His eighth-inning steal brought him up 47 for the year which broke the single-season record for the Nationals. He finishes the year hitting .244/.299/.413 with 18 homers, 64 RBI, 83 runs and a 32:118 BB:K in 614 plate appearances. Abrams was one of four players this season to hit at least 15 home runs and steal at least 45 bases, joining Ronald Acuna, Corbin Carroll and Bobby Witt.
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Closes season on bench
Swanson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
Swanson started the last 64 games after his stint on the injured list with a heel issue in July, but he'll receive Sunday off with the Cubs eliminated from playoff contention. The 29-year-old joined Chicago on a seven-year, $177 million contract last December and is set to finish the season with an underwhelming .244/.328/.416 slash line, 22 homers, nine steals, 80 RBI and 81 runs in 147 contests.
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Miguel Rojas SS | LAD
Dodgers' Miguel Rojas: On bench again Sunday
Rojas (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Giants, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Rojas will sit for the second straight game to close out the regular season after being hit by a pitch on the left hand Friday. The 34-year-old will have nearly a week to rest up before Game 1 of the NLDS next weekend. Enrique Hernandez is starting at shortstop Sunday in San Francisco.
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Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Returns for season finale
Crawford (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff Sunday against the Dodgers.
The 36-year-old landed on the shelf with a hamstring strain Sept. 21 but will rejoin the lineup for the final game of the regular season, and potentially his 13-year career with the Giants. Crawford has a .197/.276/.319 slash line in 93 games this season and is scheduled to become a free agent this winter.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Will sit Sunday
Turner (elbow) will be held out of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Mets, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Manager Rob Thomson stated after the second half of Saturday's twin bill that Turner is fine, but he'll miss Sunday's matchup. He'll presumably be good to go for the NL Wild Card Series, though confirmation on his availability likely won't come until early next week.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Pulled after HBP
Turner was removed from Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Mets due to a left elbow contusion, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Turner was drilled by a pitch in the top of the seventh inning, though he was initially able to remain in the contest to run the bases. The early diagnosis brings good news, but the Phillies will undoubtedly keep a close eye on the star shortstop with the playoffs starting early next week. He'll be considered day-to-day and could be held out of the regular-season finale to help get him as healthy as possible for the postseason.