Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.
He'll hit the bench for the third game in a row, with his exit from the lineup corresponding with top second baseman Ozzie Albies' return from the 10-day injured list. With Albies entrenched at the keystone and with Atlanta satisfied with how Gio Urshela and Ramon Laureano are performing as their primary starters at third base and in left field, respectively, Merrifield doesn't have an avenue to everyday at-bats.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Three hits in Saturday's win
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Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Saturday's 10-1 win over the Dodgers.
Merrifield has gone 5-for-8 over the first two games of this weekend's series versus the Dodgers. He missed the previous week due to a left foot fracture, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Merrifield cede some playing time to Cavan Biggio for regular rest. For the season, Merrifield has a .229/.321/.327 slash line four home runs, 16 stolen bases, nine doubles, three triples, 15 RBI and 43 runs scored over 89 contests between Atlanta and Philadelphia.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Back in lineup
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Merrifield (foot) is batting ninth and playing second base Friday against the Dodgers.
Merrifield fractured his left foot Sept. 6 and missed five straight games, but he'll rejoin the starting nine in time for a four-game set against the Dodgers. Merrifield is slashing .243/.359/.342 in 34 games with Atlanta this season.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Not ready to start Wednesday
Rotowire
Merrifield (foot) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.
He'll miss out on a fifth straight start while he gets more time off to recover from a left foot fracture. Cavan Biggio will cover the keystone Wednesday, but Atlanta is hopeful that Merrifield will be ready to reclaim an everyday role in the infield coming out of Thursday's team off day.
Merrifield (foot) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals.
It's hardly a surprise that Merrifield is on the bench for a fourth straight game, as he said Saturday after suffering a foot fracture that he's hopeful to return for the three-game series versus the Dodgers that begins Friday. Luke Williams will receive another start at second base Tuesday for Atlanta.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Diagnosed with foot fracture
Rotowire
Merrifield was diagnosed with a fractured left foot Saturday but is hopeful to return in time for a three-game series against the Dodgers that starts Sept. 13, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Merrifield fouled a ball off his foot Friday and further testing revealed he's dealing with a fracture. While he'll miss some time, a stay on the injured list doesn't seem necessary. With Merrifield sidelined, expect Luke Williams to handle most of the work at second base.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: On bench Saturday
Rotowire
Merrifield (foot) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.
Merrifield exited Friday's game after fouling a ball off his left foot and will get the night off Saturday. In his place, Luke Williams will play second base and bat ninth.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Early exit Friday
Rotowire
Merrifield exited Friday's game against the Blue Jays after fouling a ball off his left foot, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Merrifield had just returned to the lineup following a two-game absence after being hit in the head by a pitch. He suffered more bad luck Friday, but the severity of the new injury is unclear.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Good to go Friday
Rotowire
Merrifield (head) is starting at second base and batting second Friday against the Blue Jays.
The 35-year-old sat out the past two games after being struck in the head by a pitch Tuesday, but he's back in action for Friday's series opener versus Toronto. Merrifield has been fairly productive since latching on with Atlanta and has a .248/.359/.349 slash line with a homer and five stolen bases in 33 games.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Sitting again Thursday
Rotowire
Merrifield (head) isn't in Atlanta's lineup Thursday against the Rockies.
Merrifield will sit down for the second game in a row after getting hit in the head by a pitch during Tuesday's contest. In his place, Luke Williams will start at the keystone and bat ninth.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Absent from Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Merrifield (head) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.
The 35-year-old cleared the concussion protocol after being hit in the back of the head by a pitch Tuesday, but he'll still be held out of the lineup for at least one game. According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, Merrifield had a CT scan come back clean and could be back in the starting nine for Thursday's series finale.
Merrifield cleared concussion protocol after being hit in the back of the head by a pitch during Tuesday's game against Colorado, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Merrifield will also undergo a CT scan just to be safe, per Bowman, but there is a chance that the 35-year-old second baseman starts Wednesday's contest. Otherwise, the keystone would likely be occupied by Luke Williams.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Hit in head, exits game
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Merrifield was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rockies after getting hit in the head by a pitch, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Merrifield took a 94-mph fastball off the back of his helmet during the seventh inning of Tuesday's contest. The fact he was able to walk off the field under his own power is a good sign, but Atlanta's medical staff will likely evaluate him for a potential concussion. Luke Williams entered as Merrifield's replacement and could be in line for a start at second base if the 35-year-old needs to miss some time.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Knocks five hits
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Merrifield went 5-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Monday's win over the Twins.
Merrifield scored in each of the first two innings during his perfect day at the dish. The veteran utility man has fit right in since joining Atlanta; he's gone 25-for-80 (.313) in 25 games with his new squad. For the year, Merrifield owns a .678 OPS with 15 extra-base hits and 38 runs scored over 272 plate appearances.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Leading off with Harris on bench
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Merrifield will start at second base and bat leadoff in Monday's game against the Twins.
Merrifield will get his first look in the leadoff role while Michael Harris takes a seat after injuring his hand in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Nationals. Assuming he avoids a trip to the injured list, Harris should eventually settle back in atop the lineup, but Merrifield still looks as though he'll retain a prominent spot in the batting order. After mostly hitting eighth or ninth in his first three weeks with Atlanta, Merrifield had batted either second or sixth in his last five starts before getting the leadoff nod Monday. Merrifield's ascension in the lineup comes while he's reached base in each of his last 19 starts while slashing a robust .279/.413/.410 over that stretch.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Homer, stolen base in win
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Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and a stolen base in Saturday's win over the Angels.
Merrifield swiped his 15th bag of the season in the second inning after reaching on a fielder's choice and then went on to score Atlanta's fourth run of the contest on a single from Michael Harris. The second baseman would later spark a five-run inning with a leadoff homer in the fifth, marking his first long ball since June 8 against the Mets. Merrifield has now hit safely in three of his last four games and has scored at least one run in three of his last five.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Steals bag in first start
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Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Brewers.
Making his first start as Atlanta's new second baseman and batting ninth, Merrifield made a solid contribution to a 6-2 victory that included his 13th steal of the year. The veteran utility player appears fully recovered from the finger injury he suffered immediately after signing with the team July 22, and until Ozzie Albies (wrist) is ready to return, Merrifield has little competition for playing time at the keystone. His .578 OPS on the season is a career low, but he could turn things around down the stretch as Atlanta tries to catch the Phillies -- the team that cut him loose in mid-July -- in the NL East standings.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Getting first start with new club
Rotowire
Merrifield (finger) will start at second base and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
Merrifield came off the bench and stole a base in Atlanta's 3-2 loss to the Mets last Thursday, but he otherwise hadn't played since joining the club on a one-year deal July 22. That same day, Merrifield injured a finger on his throwing hand during pregame warmups, but the issue wasn't serious enough for Atlanta to place him on the injured list at any point. With manager Brian Snitker noting Tuesday that Merrifield's finger has improved to the point that he can throw without issue, the 35-year-old appears poised to serve as Atlanta's everyday second baseman until Ozzie Albies (wrist) is ready to return from the IL. Rookie Nacho Alvarez had been serving as the primary option at the keystone for the past week and a half, but he struggled mightily at the plate and was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Could be ready to play Wednesday
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Tuesday that Merrifield (finger) is now able to throw without any issues, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Merrifield still needs to get the stitches removed from his injured finger, but that could happen at any time. He could be ready to play as soon as Wednesday. With rookie Nacho Alvarez batting .100 since getting called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on July 22, Merrifield would appear in line to handle most of the starts at second base while Ozzie Albies (wrist) is sidelined.
Merrifield can't throw the ball well with the stitches in his finger and likely won't be able to play in the field until the stitches are removed, which isn't expected to occur until Atlanta returns home Thursday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Merrifield suffered a finger injury while taking grounders shortly after being signed by Atlanta on Monday. Although he entered Thursday's game as a pinch runner and stole a base, he's unable to play in the field and likely won't be able to until after Atlanta's road trip ends Wednesday. While Merrifield playing as the designated hitter hasn't officially been ruled out, Atlanta has several alternate options at DH and likely won't rush Merrifield back.
