MLB Player News
-
Jon Berti 3B | CHC
Marlins' Jon Berti: Hits solo shot off bench
Berti went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday's 16-1 loss to the Brewers.
Berti came off the bench in the blowout and provided the only run of the night for the Marlins with an eighth-inning shot off right-hander Bryse Wilson. The 33-year-old speedster now has four home runs in 125 games (390 plate appearances) this season with Miami.
-
Tyler Fitzgerald CF | LAD
Giants' Tyler Fitzgerald: Another start in center field
Fitzgerald is starting in center field and batting ninth Friday versus the Dodgers.
It's the second straight start in center for Fitzgerald, who hit a double and drew a bases-loaded walk in his major-league debut Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Prior to his promotion to the Giants, the versatile 26-year-old had posted a shiny .292/.365/.511 batting line with 22 homers and 32 steals in 121 games this season between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento.
-
Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Returns to lineup
Baez (back) is starting at shortstop and batting seventh Friday against Oakland.
Baez has missed Detroit's last three games due to back tightness, but the issue appears to have subsided ahead of Friday's contest. The 30-year-old shortstop is slashing .200/.304/.300 with four RBI since the beginning of September.
-
Matt McLain SS | CIN
Reds' Matt McLain: On track for Tuesday
McLain (oblique) remains on track to be activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
McLain resumed taking batting practice earlier this week and is nearing the end of his recovery from a right oblique strain that has kept him on the shelf since late August. The 24-year-old infielder had delivered an impressive .290/.357/.507 slash line with 16 homers and 14 steals across his first 89 major-league games prior to suffering the injury.
-
David Hamilton SS | MIL
Red Sox's David Hamilton: Undergoes thumb surgery
Hamilton underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn UCL in his left thumb, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Hamilton suffered the injury recently at Triple-A Worcester and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 25-year-old put up a .438 OPS over 15 games during his brief time with the Red Sox this season.
-
Kevin Smith DH | NYY
Athletics' Kevin Smith: Doubles, scores in loss
Smith went 1-for-3 with a double and a run in a loss to the Tigers on Thursday.
Smith had one of only two extra-base hits for the Athletics on Thursday, with his two-bagger serving as his third during his current big-league stint. Smith has seen near-everyday playing time since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sept. 5, but the same issues that have plagued him in prior samples against big-league arms persist -- the 27-year-old has just a .212 batting average across 36 plate appearances, with that figure largely the byproduct of a bloated 38.9 percent strikeout rate.
-
Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: First 30-steal campaign
Lindor went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two stolen bases in Thursday's loss to the Phillies.
The shortstop's bat has slowed down in September -- Lindor's slashing .257/.325/.392 through 83 plate appearances -- but he's remained busy on the basepaths with four steals in his last four games, giving him 30 in a season for the first time in his career. Lindor still has an outside shot at a 30-30 campaign, but he would need four homers in the Mets' final nine contests to pull it off.
-
Dyan Jorge SS | COL
Rockies' Dyan Jorge: No power at Single-A
Jorge hit .283 with zero home runs, 10 steals and a 16.3 percent strikeout rate in 49 games for Single-A Fresno.
Jorge put up video game numbers (178 wRC+) in the Arizona Complex League, but given that he was two years older (turns 21 in March) than most legitimate prospects in that league, we should focus on his production in the California League, where he was still a little older than the typical high-end prospect. There's no doubting Jorge's athleticism and projectable 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame, but he struggled to lift the ball consistently (51.6 percent groundball rate), which led to a .056 ISO.
-
Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Launches 22nd home run
Swanson went 2-for-5 with a home run and three total RBI in Thursday's loss to the Pirates.
Swanson singled home a run in the seventh inning, then plated two more on a home run in the ninth, his 22nd of the season. The shortstop had 25 long balls last year and a career-best 27 a year before that, so he'll need a strong final nine games of 2023 to reach either of those figures. Swanson has still been a solid contributor for the Cubs as they fight for a playoff spot.