MLB Player News
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: Optimistic about return this week
Lindor (back) said that he's "optimistic" that he will play again for the Mets before the regular season concludes Sunday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
Lindor missed out on a seventh consecutive start in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Phillies and hasn't played a full game since Sept. 11 due to back tightness. The star shortstop showed some tangible signs of progress over the weekend, taking batting practice Friday after receiving a facet joint injection for his ailing back a day earlier. He proceeded to take BP again Saturday and Sunday, and Lindor also noted that he's been able to track pitches, play catch, field groundballs and do some running while he's been out of the lineup. The Mets will see how Lindor is feeling coming out of Monday's team off day before the club provides another update on his status heading into Tuesday's series opener in Atlanta.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Two more steals Sunday
Turner went 2-for-4 with two steals and a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Mets.
Turner had two of the five hits the Phillies managed in the game and swiped multiple bases for the second time in his last three contests. He has at least one hit in seven of his last eight games, posting a .343 average over that span. Turner is treading around the .300 mark for the season once again, slashing .298/.342/.465 with 19 homers, 59 RBI, 84 runs, 19 steals and a 27:94 BB:K in 514 plate appearances.
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Mookie Betts SS | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Homers again Sunday
Betts went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Rockies.
Betts came up clutch for the Dodgers with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to secure a walk-off win in a game Los Angeles once trailed 5-0. His home run came immediately after Shohei Ohtani tied the game with a long ball of his own to lead off the frame. Betts now has home runs in consecutive games and has driven in a run in three straight contests.
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Picks up 18th steal
Swanson went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and one run scored in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Nationals.
Swanson was also caught stealing once, putting him at 18-for-21 on the basepaths this season. The shortstop has had a challenging year at times, but he's ending on a high note -- he's batting .313 (26-for-83) in September over 20 contests. Swanson's late surge has him up to a .241/.311/.386 slash line with 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 79 runs scored, 23 doubles and two triples across 145 games this year.
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Nasim Nunez SS | WAS
Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Starting for demoted Abrams
Nunez will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Nunez will close the weekend with consecutive starts at shortstop after he went 1-for-3 in Saturday's 5-1 win. With the Nationals optioning CJ Abrams to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Nunez could take on an everyday role in the middle infield during the final week of the regular season.
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Mason McCoy SS | SD
Padres' Mason McCoy: Lands on injured list
The Padres placed McCoy on the 10-day injured list Sunday with back inflammation.
McCoy's IL stint is backdated to Thursday, making him eligible to return for the Padres' final game of the regular season Sept. 29. He has appeared in 19 games with the Padres this season, slashing .204/.278/.245. The Padres will replace McCoy on the 28-man active roster with veteran infielder Nick Ahmed, who was called up in a corresponding transaction.
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Nick Ahmed SS | SD
Padres' Nick Ahmed: Receives call-up
The Padres selected Ahmed's contract on Sunday.
Ahmed is back in the majors and will provide infield depth in the absence of Mason McCoy, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with back inflammation. While Ahmed has been in the San Diego organization since Sept. 1, he never made an appearance with a minor-league affiliate and was instead working at the team's complex in Arizona. He had hit .232/.271/.300 in 69 games between the Dodgers and Giants this season.
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa SS | PIT
Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: On bench Sunday
Kiner-Falefa is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.
Nick Gonzales will take over at shortstop and atop the batting order against right-hander Hunter Greene. Kiner-Falefa occupies those spots most days, and he's provided a .286 average this month as the Pirates' primary leadoff hitter, though it's been a rather empty batting average (five doubles, no homers, three RBI in his last 19 games).
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Mookie Betts SS | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Homer and steal in loss
Betts went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Rockies.
Betts clubbed a two-out, two-run homer in his second at-bat to bring the Dodgers back within one run of Colorado and later added a leadoff single in the fifth, though he was left stranded after stealing second. It marked the All-Star's fourth long ball this month and his 18th on the campaign, while the steal was the second in his last three games. Betts is now slashing .274/.313/.534 in September with nine extra-base hits, 17 RBI, 12 runs and three stolen bases.
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Luisangel Acuna SS | NYM
Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Goes yard again Saturday
Acuna went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.
The 22-year-old has been on fire since getting promoted last weekend, batting .385 (10-for-26) in his first eight big-league games with six extra-base hits, including three homers. Acuna's power display is especially impressive considering he hit only seven home runs in 131 games at Triple-A this season. Francisco Lindor (back) should return to the lineup any day now and reclaim the starting job at shortstop, but with a playoff spot on the line, the Mets could keep Acuna's red-hot bat in the lineup at another position.