Braves' Whit Merrifield: Sitting in Game 1 of twin bill
Rotowire
Merrifield (finger) is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Reds.
After signing a one-year deal with Atlanta on Monday, Merrifield suffered an injury to his right finger in pregame warmups later that day when he was struck by an errant groundball. Atlanta is viewing Merrifield as day-to-day, but it's unclear if he'll be available for either contest of the twin bill Wednesday.
Merrifield (finger) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds.
Merrifield was struck in the finger by a groundball while taking part in defensive drills before Monday's game, and although he was cleared of a fracture, his Atlanta debut will be pushed back. It's unclear if Merrifield will be available off the bench Tuesday.
Merrifield is considered day-to-day after he had a finger on his right hand struck by an errant groundball while he was taking part in defensive drills prior to Monday's game against the Reds, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Merrifield has been cleared of a fracture, but he may be dealing with some soreness or bruising to the digit. The veteran utility player signed a one-year deal with Atlanta on Monday and is expected to provide depth, particularly at second base behind rookie Nacho Alvarez, once he moves past the finger issue.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Being evaluated for finger injury
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Merrifield is being evaluated by Atlanta's medical staff for a finger injury after being struck in the right hand by a ball while warming up prior to Monday's game against the Reds, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.
Merrifield has yet to play for Atlanta after signing with the club earlier Monday, and he might already be banged up. The veteran utility player wasn't in Atlanta's lineup for Monday's game anyway but had been slated to be available off the bench.
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Braves' Whit Merrifield: Latches on with Atlanta
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Atlanta agreed to terms with Merrifield on a one-year contract Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Merrifield was cut loose by the Phillies prior to the All-Star break after managing just a .572 OPS in 174 plate appearances. He'll remain in the division and provide Atlanta with an option at second base in place of Ozzie Albies (wrist) -- who is expected to miss around eight weeks -- and in the outfield. The 35-year-old stole 11 bases while being caught just once during his time in Philadelphia, but he'll have to hit better in Atlanta than he did with the Phillies if he wants to play regularly.
The Phillies released Merrifield on Friday, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Merrifield signed a one-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia in February that included a team option for 2025. However, after he posted a .572 OPS in 174 plate appearances, the team decided to move on. The 35-year-old utility player will look to land a depth role elsewhere.
Merrifield is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Atlanta.
Merrifield went 1-for-5 with two stolen bases in Friday's 8-6 win, and over his last 12 games he's gone 5-for-28. Alec Marsh, Johan Rojas and Nick Castellanos will be in the outfield for Saturday's contest.
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Phillies' Whit Merrifield: Out of Thursday's lineup
Rotowire
Merrifield is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.
Merrifield has gone 4-for-23 over his past 11 contests and will hit the bench for Thursday's series finale in Chicago. Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas and David Dahl will start from left to right in the outfield.
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Phillies' Whit Merrifield: Swipes bag Wednesday
Rotowire
Merrifield went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.
Merrifield has two steals over his last six contests, but he's gone just 4-for-23 at the plate over his last 11 games. The infielder has recorded 20-plus steals five times in his first eight major-league campaigns, but his smaller role and lackluster ability to get on base in 2024 has put a damper on his speed contributions. He's slashing .190/.277/.282 with eight steals, three home runs, 10 RBI and 19 runs scored over 160 plate appearances this year.
