Duffy started at third base and went 0-for-2 with two walks in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Oakland.
Duffy was added to the roster this week after the Rangers placed Josh Jung (wrist) on the 10-day injured list and Ezequiel Duran landed on paternity leave. Those two transactions open up third base for the righty-hitting Duffy, who got the start against a lefty Wednesday, Josh Smith and Jonathan Ornelas.
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Rangers' Matt Duffy: Up from Triple-A
Rotowire
The Rangers selected Duffy's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.
With Josh Jung (wrist) out for the season and Ezequiel Duran (paternity) away from the team, Duffy will join the active roster to give the Rangers some help at third base for the final week of the season. The 33-year-old has spent the entire season in Triple-A, posting a .576 OPS across 216 plate appearances, so he shouldn't be expected to produce much on offense while with the Rangers.
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Rangers' Matt Duffy: Back with Texas
Rotowire
Duffy signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Thursday.
Duffy was with the Rangers throughout spring training but was released Sunday. He's now back with the club and will report to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the campaign.
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Matt Duffy: Heads to open market
Rotowire
Duffy opted out of his minor-league contract with the Rangers on Sunday and is set to become a free agent, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Duffy's decision to opt out of his deal with the Rangers is likely an indication that the team informed him he wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. The 33-year-old posted a .696 OPS over 17 Cactus League games this spring after slashing .251/.306/.325 across 206 plate appearances at the big-league level with the Royals in 2023. Duffy saw action at all four infield spots last season, so he could have some appeal to a club looking for an experienced utility player to its roster ahead of Opening Day.
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Rangers' Matt Duffy: Receives NRI from Texas
Rotowire
Duffy signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Thursday and received an invitation to major-league spring training.
Duffy elected free agency in November after slashing .251/.306/.325 across 209 plate appearances with the Royals last season. The 33-year-old infielder won't see many starts with the defending World Series champions, but his defensive versatility and ability to maintain a decent batting average could allow him to win a spot on the Rangers' bench during spring training.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Hits second homer
Rotowire
Duffy went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Astros.
This was just the sixth game Duffy's gotten into in September -- the Royals have often opted to evaluate younger players in preparation for 2024. The homer was Duffy's second of the campaign. The infielder is slashing .249/.299/.324 with 15 RBI, 16 runs scored and a stolen base through 201 plate appearances. He'll likely close out this season in a bench role.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Notches rare steal
Rotowire
Duffy went 0-for-3 with a stolen base in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Cubs.
Duffy got aboard on a fielder's choice in the second inning and proceeded to record his first steal of the season. The infielder last swiped a bag in 2021 when he picked up eight steals in 97 games with the Cubs. The 32-year-old has seen a little extra playing time lately with Maikel Garcia (ribs) dealing with a nagging injury. Duffy is slashing .258/.315/.319 with one home run, 12 RBI and 15 runs scored over 178 plate appearances, mainly serving as a short-side platoon option this season.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Drives in two in win
Rotowire
Duffy went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's 12-8 win over the Cardinals.
Duffy didn't start the game, but he checked in at third base after Maikel Garcia (upper body) exited. After starting the year fairly well in a limited role, Duffy has been pretty quiet, batting .218 with a .530 OPS over 33 games since the start of June. He's at a .260/.314/.322 slash line with a home run, 10 RBI, 12 runs scored and six doubles through 159 plate appearances overall. If Garcia ends up on the injured list, Duffy or Matt Beaty would be most likely to pick up additional time at the hot corner.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Gets leadoff look Wednesday
Rotowire
Duffy is starting at second base and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Tigers.
Duffy carries a .328/.364/.426 slash line through 66 plate appearances this season and will be rewarded with his first look at the very top of the Royals' batting order. He's still not playing regularly, but he's making his rare opportunities matter and might be able to steal more starts from the slumping Michael Massey.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Three hits, three runs in win
Rotowire
Duffy went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a walk, one RBI and three runs scored in Saturday's 11-8 win over the Angels.
Duffy continues to make the most of limited playing time -- this was his third multi-hit effort of the season. The infielder has gone 6-for-15 (.400) over his last five games. For the season, he owns a .394/.412/.545 slash line with a home run, four RBI, four runs scored and a 1:6 BB:K across 34 plate appearances. Duffy's been used more as a reserve than a platoon option, starting five times against southpaws and four times against righties. With Michael Massey, Nicky Lopez and Hunter Dozier all scuffling, Duffy could see an uptick in playing time until his bat cools off.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Three hits in loss
Rotowire
Duffy went 3-for-3 in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
Individually, this was an encouraging game from Duffy, but the hitters behind him in the order went a combined 0-for-11 with one walk. Through two games, Duffy is 5-for-7 with a home run, two RBI and one strikeout. He's been one of the Royals' few bright spots, so there's a case to be made for him challenging for more regular playing time -- at least against southpaws.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Goes yard in season debut
Rotowire
Duffy went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Twins.
Duffy got the start at third base and batted ninth Sunday. Considering Hunter Dozier went 0-for-7 with two strikeouts over the first two games of the season, this could be Duffy's chance to make a push for playing time. Over 77 games with the Angels last year, he slashed .250/.308/.311. He hasn't hit more than five homers in any of his last five seasons (dating back to 2016), so he shouldn't be counted on for power production.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Makes MLB roster
Rotowire
Duffy has been informed that he's made the Opening Day roster for the Royals, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Duffy was signed to a minor-league contract and invited to spring training back in January. The veteran infielder struggled last year with the Cubs with a .619 OPS across 247 plate appearances. He's likely to be a bench option for the Royals to begin the 2023 campaign.
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Royals' Matt Duffy: Receives contract from Royals
Rotowire
Duffy signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Friday.
The veteran infielder will be given an invitation to major-league spring training. It's a good landing spot for Duffy, as the Royals recently freed up some playing time in the infield when they traded Adalberto Mondesi. Duffy was solid for the Cubs in 2021 but struggled last season with the Angels, putting up a .619 OPS across 247 plate appearances.
Duffy isn't starting Friday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Duffy started the last three games and went 3-for-10 with two runs, an RBI, a walk and two strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Luis Rengifo starts at the hot corner and leads off.
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Angels' Matt Duffy: Riding pine Sunday
Rotowire
Duffy is not in Sunday's lineup against the Twins.
Duffy is hitting .267 with one home run and four RBI over his last 10 games. Michael Stefanic is starting at second base, pushing Luis Rengifo to third base.
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Angels' Matt Duffy: Homers in Tuesday's win
Rotowire
Duffy went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers.
Duffy got the Angels on the board when he took a Cole Ragans offering down the left-field line in the second inning. Duffy was part of a rally in the sixth after getting aboard with a single, and he scored the last run of the game. The 31-year-old has posted consecutive multi-hit efforts for the first time since late May. He's up to a .260/.311/.328 slash line with two homers, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored and seven doubles through 206 plate appearances. Duffy appears to have near-everyday playing time at third base.
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Angels' Matt Duffy: Receives breather
Rotowire
Duffy is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Luis Rengifo will step in at third base while Duffy rests after starting 13 of the Angels' last 15 games at either corner-infield spot. Since his return from the injured list Aug. 29, Duffy is slashing .200/.273/.300 with three extra-base hits.
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Angels' Matt Duffy: Regains everyday role
Rotowire
Duffy will start at third base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Guardians.
He'll be making his sixth consecutive start at third base and looks to be fairly secure as an everyday player now that fellow infielder Andrew Velazquez (knee) has been shut down for the season. Since returning from the injured list Aug. 29, Duffy is hitting .195/.250/.317 in 14 games.
