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Aledmys Diaz 1B | HOU
Astros' Aledmys Diaz: Extends hit streak
Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and and an additional RBI in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Royals.
Diaz extended a hit streak to eight games when he launched his seventh homer of the season to lead off the fifth inning. He later singled home a run but was cut down at second trying to stretch it into a double. He's hit safely in 16 of 17 games, going 25-for-72 (.347) with four home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI and 10 runs scored during that stretch. That level of production has been key for the Astros as Alex Bregman (quadriceps) is slow to return. The injured third baseman is waiting to start a second rehab appearance and may not be back until next week.
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Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Perfect at the dish
Crawford went 4-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in Monday's 7-5 victory over the Mets.
Crawford singled in the second, fourth and sixth innings and laced an RBI triple in the seventh to plate San Francisco's seventh and final run of the game. The veteran shortstop's career-best age-34 campaign has been boosted by a scorching August that features a .400/.397/.564 slash line with eight runs and RBI apiece plus an active eight-game hit streak.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Astros' Carlos Correa: Knocks 19th homer
Correa went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Royals.
Correa's 430-foot blast in the sixth inning was his 19th of the year and briefly put the Astros on top 4-3. He's gone deep three times over the last 10 games after snapping a 20-game skid without a homer. The All-Star shortstop improved his season OPS to .838 with 45 extra-base hits this season.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Mets' Javier Baez: Participates in infield drills
Baez (back) fielded grounders and participated in infield drills Monday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.
Baez has been on the injured list since Thursday due to back spasms, but he was able to resume baseball activities for the first time ahead of Monday's game against the Giants. The Mets still haven't indicated when the 28-year-old will return to game action, but Monday's participation in drills was an encouraging step in his recovery.
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Corey Seager SS | TEX
Dodgers' Corey Seager: Out of Monday's lineup
Seager is not in the lineup Monday against the Mets, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Seager will receive a day off after starting the past 12 games and posting an .872 OPS during that stretch. Trea Turner will shift to shortstop while Max Muncy and Albert Pujols start at second and first base, respectively.
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Wander Franco SS | TB
Rays' Wander Franco: Not starting Monday
Franco is out of the lineup Monday versus Baltimore, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Franco started the last 11 games and will head to the bench after posting a .783 OPS during that stretch. Joey Wendle will take over at shortstop in the series opener.
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Adalberto Mondesi SS | BOS
Royals' Adalberto Mondesi: Dealing with scar tissue
Mondesi is dealing with scar tissue in his right oblique, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.
Mondesi's rehab assignment was shut down due to oblique tightness, and he's apparently dealing with effects from the right oblique issue that he dealt with earlier in the season. The 26-year-old will be able to continue throwing and fielding, and he'll also continue to swing from the right side while backing off his left-handed swings. It's not yet clear when Mondesi will be ready to return to game action.
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Miguel Rojas 2B | LAD
Marlins' Miguel Rojas: Out of Monday's lineup
Rojas is not in the lineup Monday against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Rojas started the last 10 games and will take a seat after slashing .342/.390/.500 with a homer, three doubles, four RBI, eight runs and two stolen bases in that stretch. Jazz Chisholm will shift to shortstop while Isan Diaz starts at the keystone for Miami.
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Jorge Mateo SS | TB
Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Hitting streak reaches six
Mateo went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Red Sox.
Mateo has settled into an everyday role in the middle infield for Baltimore since he was claimed off waivers Aug. 5, and he's done little to dissuade manager Brandon Hyde from keeping him out of the lineup. The 26-year-old is currently in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, but since he's still maintaining a 28.7 percent strikeout rate on the season, fantasy managers shouldn't bank on Mateo being anything more than a neutral contributor in the batting-average category. Instead, most of Mateo's value will likely come from his top-flight speed. He's already collected three steals during his time in Baltimore and owns an 8-for-9 success rate over only 129 big-league plate appearances on the season.
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Jose Barrero SS | BAL
Reds' Jose Barrero: Gets first MLB call-up of 2021
The Reds recalled Barrero from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.
The 23-year-old infielder will be joining the big club for the first time in 2021 after getting a 24-game trial with Cincinnati during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. With the benefit of playing on an everyday basis in the minors this season, Barrero has improved his plate approach and has tapped into more power, slugging 17 home runs between Louisville and Double-A Chattanooga in 2021 after having left the yard only 14 times in his first three professional seasons. Though Cincinnati views Barrero as a potential long-term solution in the middle infield, he may be relegated to a depth role during his upcoming stint in majors. Second baseman Jonathan India (.860 OPS) has been a National League Rookie of the Year frontrunner, while shortstop Kyle Farmer has overcome a sluggish start to the season to churn out a .971 OPS since the All-Star break.