MLB Player News
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Dee Strange-Gordon SS | WAS
Mariners' Dee Gordon: Laces three-bagger in loss
Gordon went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday. He's 2-for-9 in two games since rejoining the lineup after a two-game absence due to an ankle injury.
Gordon seemingly corroborated the fitness of his ankle by notching his fifth triple of the season. The veteran speedster is coming off a .323 average in July, but his .303 on-base percentage for the season remains pedestrian, especially for a leadoff man. Nevertheless, Gordon is slated to retain the everyday second base job despite the imminent return of Robinson Cano (suspension) -- the latter's inability to play in any postseason games as a byproduct of his 80-game PED ban means Gordon needs to stay sharp at the keystone in advance of a potential playoff appearance.
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Willy Adames SS | SF
Rays' Willy Adames: Delivers walkoff homer
Adames went 2-for-4 with a walkoff solo home run Tuesday in the Rays' 4-3 win over the Orioles.
Adames teed off on Orioles reliever Miguel Castro on a 434-foot blast to left field to deliver the Rays a win and finish with his second multi-hit effort since being promoted back to the big leagues July 22. Though Adames has slashed an underwhelming .218/.269/.346 across 145 plate appearances with the Rays, he'll have a clear path to a full-time role at shortstop the rest of the season with Adeiny Hechavarria now in Pittsburgh and Daniel Robertson (thumb) likely shut down for the next 6-to-8 weeks.
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Nick Ahmed SS | TEX
Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed: Not in Wednesday's lineup
Ahmed is out of the lineup against Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Ahmed will head to the bench after going 0-for-4 during Tuesday's loss. In his stead, Ketel Marte will start at shortstop while Daniel Descalso gets the nod at second base.
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Wander Franco SS | TB
Rays' Wander Franco: Continues to impress with Princeton
Franco went 3-for-5 with one home run, two runs, five RBI and a walk in Tuesday's game for the Princeton Rays.
He has been the seventh best hitter in the Appalachian League this season (159 wRC+) while being the second-youngest hitter in the league. What really stands out about Franco is that he is already getting so much power in games (.258 ISO) while walking more than he strikes out (12:14 K:BB). In fact, his 6.7 percent strikeout rate is the second-best rate in the league. He checks all the boxes one looks for in a teenage prospect with the potential to someday be viewed as the best prospect in baseball.
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Bo Bichette 3B | NYM
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Extends hit streak to 11
Bichette extended his hit streak to 11 games Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with a run for Double-A New Hampshire.
He is hitting .409 with two home runs and six strikeouts in 44 at-bats over his last 10 games, upping his season slash line to .281/.334/.459 through 105 games in the Eastern League. Bichette's numbers aren't as outrageous this year as they were in 2016 and 2017, as he has had to make adjustments at the plate for the first time as a pro. That said, he is still using the whole field and hitting for power (.177 ISO) while operating with an excellent 16.6 percent strikeout rate as the youngest player in the league. His 28 steals (on 36 attempts) are a bit misleading, as he is not a plus runner and profiles as more of a 10-to-15 steal threat in the big leagues.
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J.P. Crawford SS | SEA
Phillies' J.P. Crawford: Likely to return later this week
Manager Gabe Kapler indicated Crawford (hand) could return from the disabled list as early as Wednesday at Arizona, Matt Gelb of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.
Kapler indicated the team may wait to activate Crawford until Friday at San Diego, but he is on the cusp of a return, regardless. The acquisition of Asdrubal Cabrera at the end of July likely shifts Crawford into a role as more of a depth infielder for the Phillies.
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Chase d'Arnaud SS | SF
Giants' Chase d'Arnaud: Dealing with knee contusion
D'Arnaud was diagnosed with a left knee contusion, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.
D'Arnaud suffered the injury after fouling a ball off his knee during the fourth inning of Tuesday's game against the Astros. He was subsequently replaced by Alen Hanson. The Giants are off the schedule Wednesday, so d'Arnaud will have an extra day to rest and recover before being reevaluated.
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Chase d'Arnaud SS | SF
Giants' Chase d'Arnaud: Exits after fouling ball off leg
D'Arnaud exited Tuesday's game against the Astros after fouling a ball off his knee, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
D'Arnaud was replaced by Alen Hanson in the middle of his fourth-inning at-bat after suffering the injury. Specifics regarding the issue remain unclear at this point, though more should be known after he's further evaluated during the team's off day Wednesday. He was 1-for-2 with an RBI before exiting.
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Richard Urena SS | WAS
Blue Jays' Richard Urena: Called up from Buffalo
Urena was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.
Urena is up to replace Brandon Drury, who was placed on the disabled list with a fractured hand. With Lourdes Gurriel also out with an ankle injury, at-bats are available in the Blue Jays' infield, though Urena is not in the starting lineup Tuesday.
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Nick Ahmed SS | TEX
Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed: Doubles up stolen-base total
Ahmed went 1-for-5 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases Monday in the Diamondbacks' 3-2 win over the Phillies in 14 innings.
With the Diamondbacks looking to generate the game-winning run late in the contest, Ahmed was given a rare green light on the basepaths both times he reached first. He claimed second base as part of a double steal in the ninth inning and then nabbed another steal in the 11th, doubling up his season stolen-base total in the process. While the pair of thefts were welcome contributions, Ahmed should continue to deliver most his fantasy value through his power production. Ahmed's 16 home runs on the campaign are tied for fifth among all qualified shortstops.