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Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Returns for season finale
Crawford (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff Sunday against the Dodgers.
The 36-year-old landed on the shelf with a hamstring strain Sept. 21 but will rejoin the lineup for the final game of the regular season, and potentially his 13-year career with the Giants. Crawford has a .197/.276/.319 slash line in 93 games this season and is scheduled to become a free agent this winter.
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Tim Anderson 2B | LAA
White Sox's Tim Anderson: On bench Sunday
Anderson is not in Sunday's lineup against the Padres.
Elvis Andrus gets the nod at shortstop with Zach Remillard getting a start at the keystone. The White Sox have a $12.5 million club option on Anderson for next season, but considering he was below replacement level (-0.6 fWAR) in 123 games this year, he will likely hit the open market.
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Jorge Mateo 2B | TB
Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Pair of runs off bench
Mateo went 0-for-1 with one RBI, two runs scored and two steals in Saturday's 5-2 victory over Boston.
While Mateo didn't start Saturday's game, he managed to make an impact after pinch running for Adley Rutschman in the seventh frame. The shortstop stole two bases and managed to cross home plate twice despite only receiving one at-bat. Mateo is now up to 32 pilfers on the year while slashing .218/.268/.341.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Will sit Sunday
Turner (elbow) will be held out of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Mets, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Manager Rob Thomson stated after the second half of Saturday's twin bill that Turner is fine, but he'll miss Sunday's matchup. He'll presumably be good to go for the NL Wild Card Series, though confirmation on his availability likely won't come until early next week.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Pulled after HBP
Turner was removed from Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Mets due to a left elbow contusion, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Turner was drilled by a pitch in the top of the seventh inning, though he was initially able to remain in the contest to run the bases. The early diagnosis brings good news, but the Phillies will undoubtedly keep a close eye on the star shortstop with the playoffs starting early next week. He'll be considered day-to-day and could be held out of the regular-season finale to help get him as healthy as possible for the postseason.
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Miguel Rojas 2B | LAD
Dodgers' Miguel Rojas: Not starting Saturday
Rojas (hand) will not start Saturday's game against San Francisco.
Rojas left Friday's game after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. He escaped with nothing worse than a bruise but has no reason to risk anything Saturday with the Dodgers locked into the second seed in the National League. Chris Taylor will get the start at shortstop in his absence. Skipper Dave Roberts noted before Saturday's game that the swelling in Rojas' hand has gone down, and the team has put a CT scan on hold for now, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.
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Anthony Volpe SS | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Sitting Saturday
Volpe will be on the bench Saturday against the Royals, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
The off day means Volpe will have at most one more game to improve on his disappointing .207/.283/.383 slash line (84 wRC+). The rookie's 21 homers and 24 steals helped prop up his fantasy value, and his defense at shortstop kept him useful enough to the Yankees even when he wasn't hitting, but the team will be looking for him to take a step forward at the plate in his second major-league season. Oswald Peraza starts at shortstop Saturday.
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Trea Turner SS | PHI
Phillies' Trea Turner: Resting for afternoon game
Turner will sit for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Mets.
The Phillies will be the fourth seed in the National League regardless of what happens over the weekend, so it's unlikely that they ask many of their star players to play twice in one day. Turner owns a 1.002 OPS with 16 homers since the start of August, entering the playoffs on a high note despite a rough start to his time in Philadelphia. Edmundo Sosa will take over at shortstop in his absence.
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Bo Bichette 3B | NYM
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Four more hits Friday
Bichette went 4-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI in Friday's 11-4 win over the Rays.
The 25-year-old shortstop has had a tough season overall, but Bichette has caught fire during the Jays' playoff push. He's reeled off six multi-hit performances in the last 10 games, slashing .364/.391/.523 with two homers, two steals, seven RBI and 11 runs, and his surge has helped reduce Toronto's magic number for a wild-card spot down to one.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: On bench Saturday
Baez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Guardians.
If Baez does not appear in the game Saturday, he will finish September with a .642 OPS and one home run. Andy Ibanez will start at second base, with Zach McKinstry sliding over to shortstop.