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Brayan Bello RP | BOS
Red Sox's Brayan Bello: Shines in relief
Bello allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 scoreless relief innings in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Bello shined in bulk relief for the second time since being recalled from Triple-A Worcester earlier this month. He resurfaced with the team prior to the All-Star break and allowed one run over 4.1 innings in a win over the Yankees on July 12. Given Bello's success while following an opener this season (0.77 ERA in six outings), Boston interim manager Chad Tracy may want to keep him in that role for the stretch run rather then sending him back to the minors.
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Corey Seager SS | TEX
Rangers' Corey Seager: May face live pitching
Seager (back) could begin live batting practice sessions this weekend, MLB.com reports.
Seager continues to progress through his rehab from lower-back inflammation. He's moved from hitting off a tee to soft toss and machine work in the batting cage, while also taking groundballs and running the bases. Facing pitchers will be the next step, presumably followed by a rehab assignment.
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Jacob Latz RP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob Latz: Appears in non-save situation
Latz struck out one and retired all three batters faced in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox.
Latz threw 14 pitches (10 strikes) in a non-save situation after not having pitched since Saturday. It appears manager Skip Schumaker didn't want his All-Star closer getting rusty. The Rangers are off Thursday, and Latz will be available as normal when the club returns to action Friday against Seattle.
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Brayan Rocchio SS | CLE
Guardians' Brayan Rocchio: Continues to hit
Rocchio went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 10-6 loss to the Twins.
Rocchio's run-scoring single in the first inning put the Guardians on the board in opening frame for the second time in the last three contests. He also extended a hit streak (five games) and an RBI streak (three). Over a 29-game stretch since June 18, he's never gone more than one game without a hit while slashing .296/.319/.452 with six doubles, four home runs, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored.
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Andrew Benintendi DH | CHW
White Sox's Andrew Benintendi: Solid production out of break
Benintendi went 2-for-4 with two RBI on Wednesday against the Rangers.
Benintendi delivered RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings to help the White Sox to a win. Though that was his first multi-hit game in six starts since the All-Star break, Benintendi has six RBI and two runs scored in that span. He remains on pace to deliver his best season since joining Chicago, and he has a strong chance to top 70 runs driven in for the first time since 2021.
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Angel Martinez LF | CLE
Guardians' Angel Martinez: Plays nine innings
Martinez (foot) started in left field and went 1-for-4 with a walk for Double-A Akron on Wednesday.
Martinez, who appeared in his fourth rehab game, played nine innings and on back-to-back days for the first time during his assignment. The Guardians' original plan was to leave him on assignment through Friday before determining next steps, but per MLB.com, the club will reassess him Thursday.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Mariners' Josh Naylor: Another steal Wednesday
Naylor went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Reds.
Naylor's up to 21 stolen bases on the season, with three coming in his last four games. The first baseman has been hot at the plate as well, logging at least one hit in 13 of his last 14 contests while going 8-for-17 (.471) over his last four games. Overall, Naylor is slashing .261/.323/.359 with eight home runs, 39 runs scored and 37 RBI across 412 plate appearances this season.
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Alejandro Kirk C | TOR
Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk: Home run in loss
Kirk went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in a 4-2 loss to the Rays on Wednesday.
Kirk smashed his first home run since June 27 to deep left field off of Cam Booser in the seventh inning. The 27-year-old is starting to bounce back after missing over two months with a thumb injury and then putting up mostly middling numbers since his June 12 return. Kirk is now slashing .270/.400/.405 across 45 July plate appearances, albeit with only one long ball and four RBI over a 13-game sample. However, he's been making consistent contact, striking out just three times in that span.
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Victor Mesa Jr. RF | TB
Rays' Victor Mesa: Two RBI in win
Mesa went 2-for-3 with two RBI in Wednesday's 4-2 win against the Blue Jays.
Mesa opened the scoring for the Rays in the second inning with an RBI single that plated Chandler Simpson and then provided a much-needed insurance run with a sixth-inning knock off Jeff Hoffman that drove home Junior Caminero. Mesa's bat has come alive in July after a rough June, and he's homered in three of his last four games while recording five RBI. With the recent surge, the 24-year-old has boosted his season slash line to .231/.319/.481 with eight home runs and 17 RBI over 120 plate appearances across 38 games.