MLB Player News
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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.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Swipes bag in return
Baez (neck) went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Giants.
Baez swiped third base and then had no trouble scurrying home after a pair of errant throws by the Giants. He missed just one game with a bout of neck soreness. He's up to eight steals on nine attempts this year, with two of those thefts coming over seven contests in August. The shortstop is slashing just .181/.222/.277 with four home runs, 33 RBI, 23 runs scored and 12 doubles across 73 games.
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Ryan Bliss SS | SEA
Mariners' Ryan Bliss: Opens scoring with homer
Bliss went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 6-0 win over the Mets.
Bliss opened the scoring in the second inning, with the long ball being his first major-league hit since June 22. The infielder primarily looks to be a backup to Jorge Polanco at second base, so there's no guarantee Bliss will get steady at-bats even against southpaws. For the season, he's slashing .222/.290/397 with two homers, nine RBI, 10 runs scored and five stolen bases over 71 plate appearances in the majors, in addition to a hearty .846 OPS over 62 contests at Triple-A Tacoma.
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Leonardo Rivas SS | SEA
Mariners' Leo Rivas: Two steals in win
Rivas went 1-for-3 with two RBI, two stolen bases and one run scored in Friday's 6-0 win over the Mets.
Rivas delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning to give the Mariners some breathing room. The rookie infielder hasn't gotten much playing time since getting called up in late July, going 3-for-17 with three RBI, two steals and three runs scored over 10 contests. He's batting .217 over 23 plate appearances this year, though the speedster has 24 steals over 63 games at Triple-A Tacoma. Rivas appears to be a short-side platoon option at shortstop when Dylan Moore shifts over to third base.
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Willy Adames SS | SF
Brewers' Willy Adames: Slugs 21st homer
Adames went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Friday's 8-3 victory over Cincinnati.
The Milwaukee shortstop opened the game's scoring with a 391-foot blast off Carson Spiers in the first frame, Adames' second consecutive game with a homer. This marks his sixth homer since the All-Star break as he's hitting .285 (20-for-70) with 13 runs scored and 12 RBI over his last 18 games. Overall, the 28-year-old sports a .252/.335/.457 slash line with 65 runs scored and 79 RBI across 499 plate appearances.
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Nasim Nunez SS | WAS
Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Battling cramps
Nunez exited Friday's game against the Angels due to cramps, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Nunez was able to limp off the field after laying down a sacrifice bunt in the 10th inning, and the Nationals don't seem to be very concerned about his availability. The 23-year-old went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while filling in for CJ Abrams, who was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Battling back spasms
Abrams was scratched from the lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Angels due to back spasms, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Abrams' injury was enough to keep him from playing Friday, but the team doesn't expect it to lead to an extended absence. Nasim Nunez started at shortstop instead Friday but left the game early due to cramping, creating uncertainty over who might get the nod at the position Saturday.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Back in action Friday
Baez (neck) will start at shortstop and bat eighth Friday against the Giants, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Baez was a late scratch from Thursday's lineup due to neck soreness, but he seems to be feeling well enough to return to the starting nine Friday. The 31-year-old infielder has been one of the worst hitters in the majors this season with a .493 OPS through 263 plate appearances, and he's gone 3-for-16 with an RBI since the start of August.
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Will play right field upon return
Betts (hand) will play right field when he returns Monday against the Brewers, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Betts noted Friday that the decision to move off shortstop was "mostly" mutual between him and manager Dave Roberts, and the superstar acknowledged that the Dodgers' best chance to win likely comes with him in right field, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. That means Nick Ahmed and Miguel Rojas will continue to split time at shortstop, while Jason Heyward sees less playing time in the outfield. Roberts could also tinker with his lineup depending on who's on the mound for the opposition. Betts has been sidelined since June 17 due to a bone fracture in his left wrist. Prior to the injury, he was slashing .304/.405/.488 with nine stolen bases, 10 home runs and 40 RBI across 331 plate appearances.
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Daniel Schneemann 2B | CLE
Guardians' Daniel Schneemann: Idle for nightcap
Schneemann is out of the lineup for the second game of a doubleheader Friday against the Twins
Schneemann started at third base and hit second during the matinee, going 0-for-3 with a walk during the contest. However, Jose Ramirez will slide over to third base while Brayan Rocchio plays shortstop in the nightcap.