MLB Player News
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Reaches 40 steals
Abrams went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 3-2 victory versus the Mets.
Abrams came up with a big hit in the seventh inning, notching a two-out single that tied the score 2-2. He followed with a swipe of second base, his second theft of the game and his 40th of the campaign. Per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, Abrams is the ninth MLB player since 2000 to steal at least 40 bases prior to his age-23 season. He ranks fourth in the majors in that category and has added 15 homers, 52 RBI, 68 runs and a .245/.296/.403 slash line over 130 contests.
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Nick Ahmed SS | TEX
Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed: Designated for assignment
The Diamondbacks designated Ahmed for assignment Wednesday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Ahmed will be pushed off the 40-man roster in order to clear space for top prospect Jordan Lawlar's arrival. Ahmed posted just a .560 OPS across 210 plate appearances in the majors this season, and he's unlikely to return to the big leagues if he goes unclaimed off waivers.
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Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Taking seat against southpaw
Crawford is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.
Crawford has been in a strict platoon at shortstop with Paul DeJong since returning from the injured list last week. It will be DeJong at short for this one versus rookie lefty Jordan Wicks.
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Elly De La Cruz SS | CIN
Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Speed helps in win
De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 7-6 win over Seattle.
De La Cruz scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Having been thrown out attempting to steal earlier in the game, the speedy and confident De La Cruz reached base on an infield single then stole second base. From there, he came in on Christian Encarnacion-Strand's walk-off single. The steal was De La Cruz's 25th in 32 attempts while in the majors. Including the minors, he's swiped 36 bags (caught 13 times).
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Nick Ahmed SS | TEX
Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed: Can't deliver in loss
Ahmed went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Colorado.
Ahmed had a couple of chances with runners in scoring position but was unable to deliver against the team with the worst record in the National League. The shortstop has just one hit in 22 at-bats over the last 10 games. Ahmed, who has a career .739 OPS against left-handers, was in the lineup against Colorado southpaw Kyle Freeland, but the shortstop's season OPS against lefties fell to .404 following the loss.
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Ezequiel Tovar SS | COL
Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar: Collects two steals
Tovar went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
While he got on base at a .301 clip in August, Tovar managed just three stolen bases over 26 games last month. After logging two thefts Tuesday, he could be on his way to a more productive September. The rookie shortstop has held his own in his first full season with a .256/.290/.422 slash line, 15 home runs, 10 steals, 64 RBI, 68 runs scored, 31 doubles and three triples through 130 contests overall.
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Xander Bogaerts SS | SD
Padres' Xander Bogaerts: Another four-hit effort Tuesday
Bogaerts went 4-for-4 with a double, one RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 8-0 win over the Phillies.
This was Bogaerts' second four-hit effort in a span of three days. He's started September hot, going 12-for-18 (.667) with four extra-base hits, three RBI and eight runs scored over his last five games. The shortstop is up to a .272/.342/.413 slash line with 16 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 48 RBI, 66 runs scored and 24 doubles through 134 contests overall.
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Scores three times in critical win
Swanson went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 11-8 win over the Giants.
Swanson played a key role as the Cubs secured a big win over San Francisco, a team they're trying to hold off for a playoff spot. The shortstop is batting a disappointing .246 after hitting .277 for Atlanta last year, though he's still been fairly productive with 19 home runs, 67 runs scored and 70 RBI across 125 games. Swanson should remain an important cog for Chicago's offense down the stretch.
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Oneil Cruz SS | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Will resume running this week
Cruz (ankle) is expected to restart his running progression this week, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Cruz was shut down Aug. 23 due to soreness in his surgically-repaired left ankle, but he's feeling better now and still has an outside shot of returning to the Pirates' active major-league roster before the conclusion of the 2023 season. The dynamic 24-year-old shortstop has been sidelined since April 9.