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Spencer Strider SP | ATL
Braves' Spencer Strider: Lands on IL
Atlanta placed Strider on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right elbow inflammation.
Strider was forced to make an early exit from his start Friday due to arm soreness, and although he's now been confirmed to be dealing with an elbow injury, it remains unknown whether his inflammation is the result of a structural issue. He'll sit out for at least a couple of weeks, and a more accurate return timeline should come out once the team determines the severity of his injury. In the meantime, Anthony Molina will come up from Triple-A Gwinnett to give Atlanta some extra bullpen depth until a fifth starter is needed.
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Miguel Vargas 3B | CHW
White Sox's Miguel Vargas: Stays hot Friday
Vargas went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a walk in Friday's win over the Dodgers.
Vargas extended his hitting streak to nine games with this three-hit performance, and he remains a key cog in the White Sox's lineup in the absence of Munetaka Murakami (hamstring). Vargas is hitting .361 with a 1.132 OPS, three homers, 10 RBI and eight runs scored during the hitting streak.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Homers twice Friday
Alvarez went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six total RBI in Friday's win over the Royals.
Alvarez slugged both homers as part of the Astros' nine-run first inning. He launched a two-run shot off Luinder Avila and later belted a grand slam off Mason Black. Alvarez is up to 24 homers on the season, and he snapped a four-game home-run drought with this impressive performance. Alvarez also owns a blistering 1.092 OPS in 70 games and 305 plate appearances this season.
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Gunnar Henderson SS | BAL
Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: Slugs career homer No. 100
Henderson went 3-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 7-3 win over the Padres.
The 24-year-old took Griffin Canning deep in the fourth inning, giving Henderson his 14th homer of the season and the 100th of his career. He's the fourth-youngest player in Orioles history to reach that milestone, behind Boog Powell, Hall of Famer Eddie Murray and Friday's opponent Manny Machado. Henderson has banged out three or more hits in five of his last 25 contests, slashing .277/.360/.475 over that stretch with five doubles, five homers, one steal, 11 RBI and 15 runs.
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Chase Meidroth 2B | CHW
White Sox's Chase Meidroth: Extends hitting streak
Meidroth went 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored Friday against the Dodgers.
Meidroth helped break the game open with a two-RBI single in the fifth inning, contributing to a seven-run rally for the White Sox in the frame. He extended his hitting streak to 12 games, with his perfect effort Friday marking his third multi-hit performance in that span. Meidroth has hit particularly well since mid-May, maintaining a .321 average with two homers, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored across 21 contests.
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Anthony Banda RP | MIN
Twins' Anthony Banda: Records two outs, earns win
Banda (2-0) earned the win Friday against the Cardinals after allowing one hit over two-thirds of an inning.
Banda entered the game with one out in the eighth inning and allowed a single to JJ Wetherholt that loaded the bases. However, he retired Ivan Herrera with a popout and Alec Burleson with a flyout to end the threat. Banda has been outstanding for the Twins of late and hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 14 appearances (13.1 innings) dating back to May 10, posting a 13:6 K:BB in that stretch.
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Shane Baz SP | BAL
Orioles' Shane Baz: Relies on weak contact in win
Baz (4-6) picked up the win Friday, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks over five innings in a 7-3 victory over the Padres. He struck out one.
The lone strikeout was a season low for Baz, but he got plenty of support from the Orioles offense as he collected his third win in his last four starts. The right-hander has been tagged for two earned runs or fewer in five straight outings, posting a 2.05 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB over his last 30.2 innings, but his ratios have also been cushioned by five unearned runs during that time. Baz will look to stay stingy in his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Seattle.
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Joe Ryan SP | MIN
Twins' Joe Ryan: Tosses quality start
Ryan wasn't involved in the decision Friday against the Cardinals. He allowed three runs on six hits across six innings while striking out eight.
Ryan has six quality starts over his last seven appearances, and the star hurler continues to be a consistent, dependable presence on the mound for the Twins every time he takes the ball. Ryan, who has at least eight strikeouts in four of his last five appearances as well, owns a 2.66 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 across 44 innings and eight starts since the beginning of May. He's slated to make his next start on the road against the Rangers.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Pirates' Brandon Lowe: Tallies 17th homer
Lowe went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against the Mariners.
Lowe popped a home run in the eighth inning, his 17th of the season and second in as many games. He's had an all-or-nothing approach at the plate across his first 10 games of June, hitting only .189 with a 26.2 percent strikeout rate. However, three of his seven hits in that span have cleared the fence.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Rangers' Joc Pederson: Returns to action
Pederson went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's 10-1 loss to the Red Sox.
Pederson returned to the lineup after missing one game with a hip issue. He singled and scored the Rangers' lone run in the first inning. Pederson is an unconventional choice to bat leadoff, but he's rediscovered his bat since being moved there. He's slashing .289/.379/.632 with six home runs and 15 RBI across 23 games atop the order.