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Michael Harris II CF | ATL
Braves' Michael Harris: Rare day off Friday
Harris is absent from the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees.
It's the first time since June 19 that Harris has been out of the Atlanta lineup. Mauricio Dubon will grab a start in center field as Atlanta takes on southpaw Max Fried in the Bronx.
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Heriberto Hernandez LF | MIA
Marlins' Heriberto Hernandez: Taking seat Friday
Hernandez is absent from the lineup for Friday's game versus the Angels.
Hernandez has hit a rough patch of late, going 2-for-22 across his last six contests. He will yield to Esteury Ruiz in left field in Friday's series opener.
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Luis Robert CF | BAL
Mets' Luis Robert: Grabbing seat Friday
Robert is absent from the lineup for Friday's contest in Pittsburgh.
Robert has now been out of the lineup three of the last four times the Mets have faced a right-handed pitcher. A.J. Ewing will be in center field and will be flanked by Carson Benge in left and Brett Baty in right as the Mets take on Pirates righty Carmen Mlodzinski.
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Jordan Walker RF | STL
Cardinals' Jordan Walker: Returning to St. Louis lineup
Walker (knee) will start in right field and bat second in Friday's game versus the Rockies.
Walker missed the last two games and got an additional day of rest Thursday when the Cardinals were idle, which was enough to get him over the hump with his right knee inflammation. The 24-year-old has tallied three straight multi-hit games, but he's still looking for his first home run of the second half.
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Kendall George OF | LAD
Dodgers' Kendall George: Undergoes knee surgery
George underwent knee surgery Friday and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
George initially injured his knee in late May when he jumped out of the way to avoid a bat dog who had run onto the field to retrieve a bat. George ended up returning sooner than expected and played well following the injury, posting an .817 OPS with 10 stolen bases (in 13 attempts) over 17 games from June 24 to July 30. However, it appears the knee issue never fully went away, and George ultimately needed to get a scope procedure to ensure proper healing. He played in 55 games for Double-A Tulsa this season, slashing .332/.418/.399 with no homers, 20 RBI, 63 runs and 33 stolen bases (in 38 tries). According to Harris, George is expected to be 100 percent by spring training next year.
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Oneil Cruz CF | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Cleared to begin rehab assignment
Cruz (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Cruz has finally been cleared to test things out in a game setting after missing two months with a fractured left hand. The center fielder would ideally be given a handful of rehab contests to knock the rust off, but the Pirates might not have the luxury of taking things slowly as they fight for a playoff spot. Cruz slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 64 games for Pittsburgh before getting hurt.
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Carson Benge RF | NYM
Mets' Carson Benge: Bangs out three hits in win
Benge went 3-for-6 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Guardians.
The rookie outfielder looks increasingly comfortable in the majors. Benge has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games, batting .351 (13-for-37) over that stretch with two doubles, a triple, two homers, a steal, four RBI and six runs.
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Luis Robert CF | BAL
Mets' Luis Robert: Three hits in Thursday's win
Robert went 3-for-6 with two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Guardians.
The veteran center fielder had managed just three total hits in his prior nine games while batting .103 (3-for-29), but he broke out Thursday with his first multi-hit effort since April 18. It's been another injury-plagued campaign for Robert, and over 149 plate appearances he's eked out a .203/.289/.316 slash line with four homers, two steals, 12 RBI and 16 runs.
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Andrew Pinckney LF | WAS
Nationals' Andrew Pinckney: Homers in first big-league start
Pinckney went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Phillies.
Making his first MLB start and second appearance, Pinckney cut the Nats' deficit to 6-2 in the fourth inning with his first big-league hit, a 402-foot blast off Cristopher Sanchez. The 25-year-old outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Rochester after James Wood (oblique) landed on the IL earlier in the week. Pinckney figures to see most of his playing time against left-handed pitching, though he does offer some intriguing upside after slashing .271/.345/.425 with 13 homers and 18 steals in 94 Triple-A games this season.