MLB Player News
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Isiah Kiner-Falefa 2B | TOR
Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Aggressive on basepaths early
Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with two walks and two stolen bases Saturday against the Marlins.
Kiner-Falefa was expected to lead off for a significant portion of spring, but he's instead hit ninth in all three of Pittsburgh's games. He's still found a way to be productive and has benefited from the team's aggressiveness on the basepaths by swiping three bases on three tries. Kiner-Falefa is likely to provide little other production, but he could be a streaming option for stolen bases.
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Matt Shaw SS | CHC
Cubs' Matt Shaw: Belts first big-league homer
Shaw went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-3 victory versus Arizona.
Shaw didn't start the contest, but he came through in a big way as a pinch hitter when he smacked a solo homer to left-center field in the seventh inning. The long ball was his first major-league home run, and it proved to be the winning margin in the 4-3 win. Shaw is working as the Cubs' primary third baseman in his rookie campaign, and he's gone 3-for-19 through his first five major-league games.
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Matt McLain SS | CIN
Reds' Matt McLain: Homers in win
McLain went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Giants.
McLain put the Reds on the board with a homer in the third inning and then scored the tying run in the fifth. After missing the entire 2024 season due to injury, the 25-year-old looks healthy and could provide plenty of value hitting second in front of Elly De La Cruz most days.
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Edmundo Sosa 3B | PHI
Phillies' Edmundo Sosa: Productive as replacement
Sosa went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk in Saturday's 11-6 win over Washington.
Sosa entered the lineup to bat ninth and fill in at shortstop for the injured Trea Turner (back) on Saturday, and he was one of six Phillies to register a multi-hit game. The severity of Turner's issue is unknown, but Sosa could be in line to handle extra at-bats for however long the former remains out of action.
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Eddys Leonard SS | MIL
Braves' Eddys Leonard: Inks minors deal with Atlanta
Leonard signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Saturday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Leonard was cut loose by Detroit on Thursday but didn't have to wait very long for his next opportunity, as he'll now provide organizational infield depth at Triple-A Gwinnett. The 24-year-old slashed .263/.326/.455 with 282 plate appearances in Triple-A last season and is still waiting to make his MLB debut.
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Getting Saturday off
Betts is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Tigers on Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Saturday was a planned off day for Betts as he hasn't completely recovered from an illness that caused him to lose nearly 20 pounds, per Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA. Miguel Rojas will get the start at shortstop and bat eighth against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Scratched Saturday
Turner was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game versus Washington due to lower-back spasms.
The severity of Turner's injury is unclear, though it's apparently enough of an issue to keep him out of Saturday's contest. While he recovers, Edmundo Sosa will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth.
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Reaches twice, swipes bag in loss
Swanson went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks. He also stole a base.
Swanson is off to a decent start early in the season, as he now has a hit in three of Chicago's first four games, though he's still seeking his first multi-hit effort. The shortstop also recorded his first stolen base of 2025 on Friday. Swanson underwent core muscle surgery in October, but he returned in time for spring training and looks fully healthy to begin the year. He could be primed to once again reach double figures in steals and home runs, something he's done twice over the past three seasons.
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Walks it off Friday
Betts went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI in Friday's 8-5 extra-inning win over the Tigers.
The illness that cost Betts the season-opening series in Tokyo and caused him to lose 18 pounds appears to no longer be an issue for the 32-year-old. Betts nearly won the game for the Dodgers in the eighth inning when he broke a 2-2 tie with a solo shot off Will Vest, but when that didn't stick he walked it off in the 10th with a three-run blast off Beau Brieske. Betts is 4-for-8 with a walk since returning to the lineup Thursday, and he has yet to strike out.