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Alex Verdugo LF | SD
Yankees' Alex Verdugo: Out of Tuesday's lineup
Verdugo is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Royals, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Verdugo was in the lineup Monday in the first game after Jasson Dominguez's promotion and even homered in that contest. However, he's expected to lose significant playing time to Dominguez moving forward, and on Tuesday, it will be the latter manning left field for the Yankees.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: In Tuesday's lineup
Guerrero (toe) will start at first base and bat third in Tuesday's game against the Mets.
Guerrero required X-rays after fouling a ball off the toes on his left foot during Monday's loss to the Mets, but he remained in that contest and is back in the lineup a day later. The first baseman is slashing .392/.465/.750in the second half.
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Franklin Arias SS | BOS
Red Sox's Franklin Arias: Wrapping up strong age-18 season
Arias is slashing .309/.409/.487 with nine home runs, 35 steals on 41 attempts and a 65:50 K:BB in 87 games across the Florida Complex League and Carolina League.
The 18-year-old shortstop understandably did much more damage in the FCL (1.055 OPS) than after his July 23 promotion to Single-A Salem (.709 OPS), but it's still an accomplishment for him to be holding his own against Single-A pitching. Arias came into the year as a hit-over-power shortstop who had a strong chance of sticking at the position, and while that is all still true, he was more impressive with the bat and more prolific on the bases than expected.
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Noah Schultz SP | CHW
White Sox's Noah Schultz: In cruise control at Double-A
Schultz has a 0.61 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 34:13 K:BB in 29.2 innings across his last eight starts for Double-A Birmingham.
Given that Schultz only allowed an earned run in two of those eight starts and didn't allow more than one earned run in any outing over that stretch, it's pretty clear that he can handle three or four innings against Double-A hitters. However, he hasn't recorded more than 12 outs in a start all year, as the White Sox have clearly capped his per-start workload in an effort to keep him healthy all season. Schultz's 70-grade slider is his bread and butter, so it's not a given that he'll have the same success as he attempts to log five or six innings in starts against better competition next season. Improving his third-pitch changeup will be the top priority for the 6-foot-9 southpaw this offseason.
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Bryan Mata RP | BOS
Red Sox's Bryan Mata: Ready to restart rehab assignment
Mata (lat/elbow) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.
Mata has been on the injured list all season, initially due to a hamstring injury before he experienced shoulder and lat soreness in May during his initial rehab assignment. He resumed his rehab assignment in June, only to suffer another setback when he experienced inflammation in his elbow. After resuming his throwing program and completing a bullpen session at Fenway Park on Monday, Mata is ready to restart his rehab assignment for a third time. He'll likely require multiple appearances in the minors before making his return from the 60-day injured list and potentially making his MLB debut in late September.
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Kody Funderburk RP | MIN
Twins' Kody Funderburk: Starting up rehab assignment
Funderburk (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Funderburk is ready for his first game action since mid-July after an extended recovery from a left oblique strain. He'll likely require at least a couple outings in the minors before the Twins are comfortable bringing him back from the 60-day injured list.
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Brayan Rocchio SS | CLE
Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Registers steal in win
Rocchio went 0-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Monday's 5-3 win over the White Sox.
Rocchio has gone 7-for-18 (.389) with two home runs, five RBI and four walks over seven games in September. That has helped him gain a majority of the playing time at shortstop, though he still faces a small threat from Daniel Schneemann. Rocchio hit just .206 in August and is at a .214/.304/.328 slash line with eight homers, 10 steals, 32 RBI and 48 runs scored through 127 contests this season.
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Sam Hentges RP | SF
Guardians' Sam Hentges: Slated for shoulder surgery
Hentges will undergo surgery on Sept. 18 to repair the capsule and labrum in his left shoulder, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Hentges is expected to need 12-to-14 months to recover, so it's unlikely he'll be ready to pitch in a game until 2026. The lefty has been excellent since being moved to a full-time relief role in 2022, posting a 2.93 ERA and 155:42 K:BB over 138 innings. Hentges is making $1.16 million in 2024 and will be eligible for salary arbitration for a second time this offseason.
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Matt Wilkinson SP | SF
Guardians' Matt Wilkinson: Cruising along for Captains
Wilkinson has a 2.30 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 103 strikeouts in 78.1 innings across 16 starts for High-A Lake County.
Affectionately nicknamed "Tugboat" due to his 6-foot-1, 270-pound frame, Wilkinson hasn't lost a step after getting promoted to the Captains on May 21. It's a bit telling that he hasn't been promoted to Double-A after dominating the Midwest League for a few months. Wilkinson projects as an innings-eating southpaw whose stuff plays much better in the lower levels than it will against upper-level and big-league hitters. The 21-year-old lacks a true plus offering and his fastball tops out at 93 mph and sometimes sits in the upper-80s.