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  • Mookie Betts RF | LAD

    Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Won't be moved down in order

    Though Betts got a day off Saturday and may sit again Sunday, he won't be moved below the No. 2 spot in the batting order despite his season-long struggles, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

    It's been a tough campaign so far for Betts, who didn't play during the Dodgers' two-game, season-opening set against the Cubs in Tokyo due to an illness and hasn't put up his usual numbers at the plate. The outfielder-turned-shortstop has posted just a .688 OPS through 90 contests, which would be his first time with an OPS below .800 as a big leaguer. After Betts went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Los Angeles' first game out of the break, manager Dave Roberts elected to give him a day off for a reset, and it's TBD whether Betts will be back in the lineup Sunday. Nonetheless, Roberts has decided not to move the eight-time All-Star down in the order, saying, "I just don't know if hitting him first or ninth or anywhere in between changes where he's at mechanically. I think he's very sold on the fact that he's got to clean some things up mechanically. Where you hit in the order isn't going to change that." The decision to keep Betts near the top of the order bodes well for his fantasy production (despite his struggles, Betts has scored a healthy 56 runs), though managers who invested heavily in the usually dependable veteran on draft day have largely been let down by his numbers this season.

  • Joseph Ortiz 2B | MIL

    Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Pops seventh homer

    Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and two total runs scored in Saturday's 8-7 win over the Dodgers.

    Ortiz opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third inning and added a solo shot in the eighth. That homer ended up being the difference, as the Dodgers' rally in the eighth came up a run short. Ortiz is 5-for-16 over his last five games and continues to see a majority of the playing time at shortstop. For the year, he is slashing a modest .214/.270/.314 with seven homers, 30 RBI, 38 runs scored and nine stolen bases through 95 games.

  • Ezequiel Tovar SS | COL

    Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar: Goes yard in three-hit effort

    Tovar went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Twins.

    Tovar lost most of the first half of the season to hip and oblique injuries, which has made it tough for him to get in a rhythm. He's now 4-for-8 across two games after being activated off the injured list for the start of the second half. The shortstop is batting .272 with a .747 OPS, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored and two stolen bases across 146 plate appearances this season and should settle into a starting role as long as he can stay healthy.

  • Ryan Ritter SS | COL

    Rockies' Ryan Ritter: Suffers finger injury Saturday

    Ritter is expected to miss "a few days" of action after needing stitches to close a cut on his right middle finger during Saturday's contest versus Minnesota, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

    Ritter was hurt when a pitch hit his finger while he was laying down a sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning. The infielder had to leave the contest and received three stitches, but X-rays returned negative. It appears Ritter has avoided a serious injury, but he'll likely need to be held out of action for a few days. Orlando Arcia replaced him in the field Saturday and could get a few starts at second base while Ritter is out.

  • Chase Meidroth SS | CHW

    White Sox's Chase Meidroth: Struggling in July

    Meidroth went 1-for-5 with an RBI on Saturday against the Pirates.

    Meidroth ended June with a .352 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases, but he's struggled since the calendar flipped to July. He has gone just 6-for-50 with four walks across 12 games this month, tallying two RBI, two runs scored and only one stolen base. Meidroth did manage to contribute to the White Sox's win Saturday, delivering an RBI single in the sixth inning.

  • Anthony Volpe SS | NYY

    Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Slugs pair of homers

    Volpe went 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBI in Saturday's victory over Atlanta.

    Volpe put together a standout showing Saturday, delivering the first two-homer game of his young career. He hit a two-run blast off Wander Suero in the fifth inning, then followed with a game-tying solo shot off Dylan Lee in the eighth. It could be the beginning of a much-needed hot streak for the shortstop, who's struggled at the plate this season with a .216/.288/.399 slash line in 97 games. Still, his 37 extra-base hits, 53 RBI and 10 steals offer some redeeming value.

  • Otto Lopez SS | MIA

    Marlins' Otto Lopez: Carries offense in Saturday's win

    Lopez went 1-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Royals.

    After bringing home Xavier Edwards with an RBI grounder in the first inning, Lopez broke open a 1-1 tie in the eighth with his 11th double of the season, and second in as many games coming out of the All-Star break. Clutch hitting has become the 26-year-old infielder's forte over the last month -- Lopez has driven in an astonishing 27 runs in his last 21 games, a stretch in which he's batting .282 (24-for-85) with five homers, two steals and 15 runs scored.

  • Willy Adames SS | SF

    Giants' Willy Adames: Carries offense with two homers

    Adames went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays.

    The shortstop took Eric Lauer deep in the fifth inning to get the Giants on the board before adding another solo shot off Chad Green in the seventh. Adames is up to 14 homers on the season, including four in his last nine games, and he's batting .314 (16-for-51) in July with 10 runs and 14 RBI in 14 contests.

  • Trea Turner SS | PHI

    Phillies' Trea Turner: Reaches 25 steals in win

    Turner went 1-for-3 with two walks, one RBI, one run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 9-5 win over the Angels.

    Turner played a key role in the Phillies' comeback win, delivering an RBI single and stealing second in the fifth inning before walking and scoring in the sixth. Though he's gone just 13-for-53 in July, the shortstop has hit safely in 10 of 13 games this month and still leads the National League with 114 hits. He's slashing .289/.345/.430 with 11 home runs, 41 RBI, 64 runs scored and 25 steals across 432 plate appearances.

  • Mookie Betts RF | LAD

    Dodgers' Mookie Betts: On bench Saturday

    Betts isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Brewers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

    After starting the month of July with a .188/.212/.354 slash line through 52 plate appearances, Betts will get a day off to regroup Saturday. Miguel Rojas will pick up a start at shortstop as a result and bat ninth.

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