MLB Player News
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Ezequiel Tovar SS | COL
Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar: Not starting Sunday
Tovar is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tovar started the previous 24 games but will sit Sunday while in the midst of a 3-for-19 slump. Aaron Schunk will take over at shortstop and bat ninth in the series finale versus San Diego.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Goes yard again Saturday
Winn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers.
Winn has homered in back-to-back games against the Dodgers, and he's up to four long balls over 14 contests in August. The shortstop is batting .259 (15-for-58) over that span. For the season, he's at a .277/.327/.423 slash line with 11 homers, 43 RBI, 59 runs scored and 10 stolen bases through 114 games.
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Kevin Newman 3B | LAA
Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Playing time spike coming to end
Newman started at second base and went 2-for-4 in Saturday's 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
Newman has seen a spike in playing time over the past week while covering for injured second baseman Ketel Marte, who returned from an ankle injury Saturday as the designated hitter. Marte is expected to be brought back slowly, and Newman's presence in starting lineups could come to an end Sunday or shortly thereafter.
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: Slugs 24th homer
Lindor went 2-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Marlins.
He led off the game by driving a fastball from Max Meyer over the wall in right-center field, giving Luis Severino all the run support he would need as the right-hander pitched a shutout. Lindor extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the process, and he's reached base safely in every contest so far in August, slashing .338/.386/.508 with two homers, two steals, eight RBI and 12 runs in 15 games. The shortstop needs just one more home run and one more stolen base to record his third career 25-25 campaign.
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Oneil Cruz SS | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Starting at DH
Cruz (ankle) will serve as the designated hitter and bat second in Saturday's game against the Mariners.
Cruz injured his left ankle while turning towards third base in the seventh inning of Friday's game against Seattle. The injury won't keep him out of Saturday's contest, though he'll avoid fielding duties while Isiah Kiner-Falefa gets the start at shortstop.
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Ha-seong Kim SS | SD
Padres' Ha-Seong Kim: Clubs 11th homer
Kim went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rockies.
Kim ended a 40-game homer drought, lifting his first long ball since June 22 when he went deep in the second inning. The shortstop hit .246 and slugged a paltry .292 during his power drought. He's slashing .229/.328/.365 with 11 homers, 47 RBI, 60 runs scored and 22 stolen bases over 119 contests, but his drop in production this year has yet to cost him his starting role at shortstop.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Swats solo shot
Winn went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Dodgers.
Winn has gone 3-for-17 with two extra-base hits since returning from an illness. The shortstop showed a little pop with four homers over a 10-game span from July 26 to Aug. 4, though he's had to settle for four doubles and a homer over his last nine contests. He continues to impress with a .275/.325/.415 slash line, 10 homers, 42 RBI, 57 runs scored and 10 stolen bases over 113 contests this season.
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Miguel Rojas SS | LAD
Dodgers' Miguel Rojas: Records two hits, steal in win
Rojas went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in Friday's 7-6 win over the Cardinals.
Rojas logged his first multi-hit effort of August, and he's gone 9-for-29 (.310) over eight games since he returned from a forearm injury. The shortstop's solid batting has helped him fend off Nick Ahmed for playing time at shortstop. Rojas is up to a .276/.318/.403 slash line, three home runs, 25 RBI, 27 runs scored and seven steals through 237 plate appearances this season. With Tommy Edman (wrist) expected to debut Monday, Rojas will need to keep hitting well to maintain his playing time, though Edman is also an option to enter the mix in center field.
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Homer, double in win
Betts went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a double in Friday's 7-6 win over the Cardinals.
Betts has logged multiple hits in each of his four starts since he returned from a hand injury. Over his last five games, he's gone 8-for-20 (.400) with two homers and four RBI. Betts' power was down even before the injury, but he's still slugging .505 over 77 contests this season. He's added a .310 batting average, 12 homers, 44 RBI, 54 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.
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Oneil Cruz SS | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Exits with ankle injury
Cruz was removed from Friday's game against the Mariners due to left ankle discomfort.
Cruz made a big turn toward third base after lining a two-RBI double into center field during the seventh inning, and he pivoted awkwardly on his ankle while turning back to second. The Pirates' medical staff is still in the process of examining his ankle, and the 25-year-old's status for Saturday's game is uncertain.