MLB Player News
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Sitting again, as expected
Abrams (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Abrams sat out the past two games due to back spasms and said Saturday he was hoping return for Tuesday's matchup with the Orioles, so his absence from the lineup Sunday isn't surprising. The 23-year-old will have Monday's team off day to aid in his recovery ahead of Tuesday's series opener. Nasim Nunez will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Abrams' place.
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Xavier Edwards SS | MIA
Marlins' Xavier Edwards: Swipes two more bags Saturday
Edwards went 1-for-4 with two walks, a run scored and two stolen bases in Saturday's 9-8 extra-inning loss to the Padres.
The Marlins ran wild on Kyle Higashioka, going 5-for-5 on steal attempts on the afternoon with Edwards leading the charge. The 25-year-old shortstop is up to 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts through only 37 games on the season, but he's been even more dangerous on the basepaths over the last couple weeks, going 11-for-11 in the last 16 contests while slashing .359/.419/.469. The last player in MLB history to steal 100 or more bases over a full season was Vince Coleman in 1987 with 109, but that's the kind of pace Edwards is on right now.
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Geraldo Perdomo SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Geraldo Perdomo: Three hits in Saturday's win
Perdomo went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Saturday's 11-1 win over the Phillies.
Perdomo has gone 18-for-40 (.450) over his last 12 contests, a span that includes a trio of three-hit efforts. He was hitting just .246 on July 28, but he's up to .291 now with a .732 OPS, one home run, 13 doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, 21 RBI and 34 runs scored across 205 plate appearances this year. His hot bat has helped him maintain a starting role at shortstop.
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Tyler Fitzgerald SS | SF
Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald: Swipes two bags in win
Fitzgerald 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Tigers.
Fitzgerald stole second and third in the seventh inning and has two multi-steal games in his past three contests after swiping just one base in July. The 26-year-old has remained scorching in August, going 13-for-37 with three home runs, five thefts and five multi-hit efforts across nine games. For the year, he is hitting .313 with 12 homers and 12 steals in just 176 plate appearances.
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Nasim Nunez SS | WAS
Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Back in lineup
Nunez (lower body) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Saturday's contest against the Angels, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Nunez left Friday's game due to cramps, finishing the contest 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He won't miss any time, however, and he'll face off against Halos right-hander Griffin Canning in Saturday's tilt.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Out Saturday due to cold
Winn (illness) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Brandon Crawford is starting at shortstop Saturday and batting ninth with Winn fighting off a cold, per Jones. With the Cardinals off Sunday, Winn should return for Monday's series opener against the Reds. Since the All-Star break, Winn is slashing .258/.320/.449 with four home runs and eight RBI across 96 plate appearances.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Out of lineup Saturday
Abrams (back) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Abrams told reporters Saturday that he first felt his back issues flare up Thursday during rain delays, which led to his removal from Friday's lineup, per Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com. With the Nationals scheduled for an off day Monday, Abrams will be held out for the weekend series against the Angels and aim to return Tuesday for the series opener against the Orioles. The 23-year-old has struggled from the plate since the All-Star break and is slashing .165/.212/.266 with nine runs scored, two home runs and 11 RBI across 83 plate appearances.
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Oneil Cruz SS | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Homers in three-hit game
Cruz went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and an additional RBI in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Dodgers.
Cruz came up a triple shy of the cycle, logging his second three-hit game in a row since returning from an illness. The shortstop has gone 12-for-24 (.500) with three extra-base hits over six contests in August. Cruz is up to a .262/.315/.473 slash line with a career-high 18 homers, 59 RBI, 54 runs scored, 24 doubles and 11 stolen bases over 103 games this season.
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Miguel Rojas SS | LAD
Dodgers' Miguel Rojas: Logs steal in win
Rojas went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 9-5 win over the Pirates.
David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reported Friday that Mookie Betts (hand) will shift to right field when he returns Monday, so Rojas will remain in competition with Nick Ahmed and Amed Rosario for playing time at shortstop. Rojas has started two straight games since he returned from the injured list himself after missing two weeks with a forearm injury. For the season, Rojas has been a steady batter, hitting .270 with a .713 OPS, three home runs, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored, six steals and 17 doubles over 215 plate appearances. As long as he can avoid a slump, Rojas appears to be in line for the bulk of the action at shortstop.