MLB Player News
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Tucupita Marcano 2B | SD
Pirates' Tucupita Marcano: Thriving with regular playing time
Marcano went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored Friday against the Cardinals.
Marcano started his 12th consecutive game against right-handed pitching, all of which have come at shortstop. He's also jumped to the leadoff spot in three of his last four appearances after primarily hitting sixth in the order to start the season. Marcano has maintained a .275/.310/.575 line across his last 40 at-bats while also tallying seven RBI, five runs scored and three stolen bases.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Tallies two hits in loss
Baez went 2-for-4 with a triple in Friday's 3-0 loss to the White Sox.
The Tigers had only six hits as a team and just two extra-base hits. It was a good effort all the same for Baez, who has struggled to get going this season. The shortstop has a .565 OPS over his last 10 games and just a .599 OPS for the year, which is well below his career .757 mark. He could still get hot at some point, but fantasy managers can't be blamed for turning to other middle infield options.
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Wander Franco SS | TB
Rays' Wander Franco: Back in action
Franco (shoulder) will return to the lineup for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, batting second and playing shortstop, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Franco hadn't played since Tuesday due to a minor left shoulder injury. He was set to return Friday but had to wait one more day after that game got rained out. It's possible the Rays won't ask him to start twice in one day immediately after his return, but he'll be taking part in at least one contest, squaring off against Garrett Whitlock.
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Tim Anderson 2B | LAA
White Sox's Tim Anderson: Effective from leadoff spot
Anderson went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored Friday against the Tigers.
Anderson tallied a single and a double to reach base multiple times for the fourth time in his last seven games. In that span, he's maintained a .419 on-base percentage with six runs and three doubles. Anderson is still performing poorly overall this season with a .623 OPS, but he is locked in as the White Sox's leadoff hitter and should provide reliable contributions in runs scored and stolen bases.
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Geraldo Perdomo SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Geraldo Perdomo: Bats leadoff Friday
Perdomo batted leadoff and went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a caught stealing in Friday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.
Perdomo snapped an 0-for-13 skid when led off the home half of the first inning with an infield single and came around to score. This was the second time Perdomo slotted in at leadoff, but it doesn't look like it's a new home in the lineup for him, according to Michelle Gardner of the Arizona Republic. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said it was more about giving Pavin Smith and Josh Rojas a night off while keeping a left-handed bat atop the order.
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Power returning
Swanson went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's victory over San Diego.
Swanson posted his eighth three-hit game of the season, but it was his first since May 9. The Cubs' shortstop started the season with a power outage, homering just once in the month of April. He has now homered five times in 29 games since April ended. He is not on pace to top 20 home runs, a mark he has hit in three straight seasons, but his OPS sits at .801 thanks to a career-high walk rate.
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: X-rays return negative
Neto is considered day-to-day after X-rays on his left foot came back negative, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Neto was hit by a pitch in the foot during Friday's contest, and while he was initially able to continue, the rookie infielder eventually was replaced by Luis Rengifo. Blum believes it's possible Neto may sit out Saturday's contest against Houston, but the positive news is that he appears to have avoided a serious injury.
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Exits with foot soreness
Neto exited Friday's game against the Astros with left foot soreness, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports. He went 0-for-1 while reaching via a hit-by-pitch before leaving.
Neto was plunked in the left foot, and while he was initially able to continue in the contest, the rookie shortstop gave way not long after. Luis Rengifo has taken over at shortstop, and Neto should be considered day-to-day at this stage.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Twins' Carlos Correa: Out of Friday's lineup
Correa (heel) isn't starting Friday against the Guardians.
Correa aggravated the plantar fasciitis in his left heel during Thursday's contest, but the good news is that he could return as soon as Saturday, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. In the meantime, Kyle Farmer will start at shortstop Friday and bat eighth.
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Ronny Mauricio SS | NYM
Mets' Ronny Mauricio: Learning left field
Mets general manager Billy Eppler said Friday that Mauricio has begun "acclimating to left field," Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Mauricio continues to add more defensive versatility to his profile as he pushes toward his MLB debut. He had exclusively played shortstop in the minors before recently switching over to second base at Triple-A Syracuse. The 22-year-old top prospect boasts a .336/.377/.550 slash line with seven homers and nine steals through 53 games this season in the International League and should carry immediate fantasy relevance whenever he gets the call to Queens.