| Date | News | Comment |
| Jun 24 2025 | Merrifield announced Tuesday that he has retired from baseball after a nine-year major-league career, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield last played with Atlanta in 2024, and he spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign to this point as a free agent. The 36-year-old posted a career .280/.328/.413 slash line with 94 home runs, 485 RBI, 632 runs scored and 218 stolen bases over 1,147 career games across nine seasons with the Royals, Blue Jays, Phillies and Atlanta. His 174 stolen bases with the Royals ranks seventh all-time in franchise history, while his .286 career average with Kansas City is good for 13th-best. Merrifield was also selected as an All-Star in 2019, 2021 and 2023, and he led baseball in hits in both 2018 (192) and 2019 (206). |
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| Sep 22 2024 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Sep 14 2024 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Saturday's 10-1 win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Sep 13 2024 | Merrifield (foot) is batting ninth and playing second base Friday against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Sep 11 2024 | Merrifield (foot) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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. |
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| Sep 10 2024 | Merrifield (foot) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Sep 7 2024 | 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. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Sep 6 2024 | 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. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield returned Friday after missing two games 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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| Sep 5 2024 | Merrifield (head) isn't in Atlanta's lineup Thursday against the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Sep 4 2024 | Merrifield (head) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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. |
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| Sep 3 2024 | 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. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Aug 27 2024 | Merrifield went 5-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Monday's win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Aug 26 2024 | Merrifield will start at second base and bat leadoff in Monday's game against the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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 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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| Aug 18 2024 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and a stolen base in Saturday's win over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield swiped his 15th bag of the season in the second inning after reaching on a fielder's choice play and then went on to score Atlanta's fourth run of the contest following 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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| Aug 1 2024 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Jul 31 2024 | Merrifield (finger) will start at second base and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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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| Jul 27 2024 | 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. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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. |
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| Jul 24 2024 | Merrifield (finger) is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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. |
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| Jul 23 2024 | Merrifield (finger) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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. |
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| Jul 22 2024 | 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. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has been cleared of a fracture, but he may be dealing with some soreness or bruising to the digit. Atlanta will likely look to stay away from Merrifield on Monday before re-evaluating his status prior to Tuesday's contest. Merrifield signed a one-year deal with Atlanta on Monday and is expected to serve as a utility player once he moves past the finger issue. |
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| Jul 12 2024 | The Phillies released Merrifield on Friday, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield signed a one-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia in February that included a team option in 2025. However, after posting a .572 OPS in 174 plate appearances, Merrifield was released. The veteran utility player should garner significant interest on the open market. |
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| Jul 6 2024 | Merrifield is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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 the Phillies for Saturday's contest. |
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| Jul 4 2024 | Merrifield is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has gone 4-for-23 over his past 11 contests and will hit the bench for Thursday's series finale in Chicago. Brandon March, Johan Rojas and David Dahl will start from left to right in the outfield. |
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| Jul 3 2024 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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. |
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| Jul 2 2024 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield's playing time has been trending upward lately, starting four of the Phillies' previous six games. However, he'll yield to Brandon Marsh in left field for Tuesday's series opener in Chicago. |
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| Jun 30 2024 | Merrifield will start in left field and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will get his third start in four games and should be in store for an uptick in playing time in the short term after the Phillies recently placed both Bryce Harper (hamstring) and Kyle Schwarber (groin) on the injured list. Through 16 games in June while seeing mostly sporadic at-bats, Merrifield has slashed .216/.293/.297 with one home run and one stolen base. |
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| Jun 12 2024 | Merrifield will start at second base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield made three consecutive starts in left field last week while the Phillies faced three left-handed pitchers in a row and went 2-for-11 with a home run and four RBI over those contests. Though he still looks to be a short-side platoon player for Philadelphia, Merrifield will re-enter the lineup Wednesday against a righty (Nick Pivetta), filling in for a resting Edmundo Sosa in the middle infield. |
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| May 15 2024 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Bryce Harper (migraine) and Kyle Schwarber (back) both missing time in recent days, Merrifield was one of the main beneficiaries. He started in seven of the previous eight games while manning three different positions, but Merrifield provided just three hits over 32 at-bats over that stretch to bring his batting average down to .188. Both Harper and Schwarber are simultaneously in the lineup for the first time since last Friday, so Merrifield will retreat to the bench and will most likely be in store for a reduction in playing time moving forward. |
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| May 6 2024 | Merrifield will start at second base and bat eighth in Monday's contest against the Giants, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield's playing time with the Phillies this season has been sparse, but he could see increased reps at second base over the next several weeks on days Bryson Stott slides over to shortstop to cover for the injured Trea Turner (hamstring). The 35-year-old has been solid in 2024 in his limited chances, putting up a .724 OPS with two home runs and three stolen bases across 53 plate appearances. |
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| May 4 2024 | Merrifield went 1-for-2 with a solo homer and a walk in Saturday's win over the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield didn't start the game but entered in the third inning for the injured Alec Bohm (hip) and wound up going deep off reliever Erik Miller later in the contest. Bohm is expected to be fine, but Merrifield could potentially see more action at second base in the coming weeks if the Phillies decide to shift Bryson Stott over to shortstop some days to cover for Trea Turner (hamstring). Merrifield is slashing .250/.308/.417 with two home runs and three steals over 16 games this season. |
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| Apr 20 2024 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-0 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield took Garrett Crochet deep to lead off the fourth inning, extending the Phillies' lead to 7-0. The homer was Merrifield's first hit since April 7 -- he'd gone 0-for-11 in his previous five games while seeing sparse playing time in the short side of a platoon with Brandon Marsh in left field. Merrifield is now slashing just .129/.182/.226 with a stolen base through his first 11 contests this season. |
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| Apr 1 2024 | Merrifield is starting in left field and batting eighth for Monday's contest versus the Reds, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield wasn't in the lineup on Opening Day, but he's started each of the last three contests with the Phillies going up against three straight southpaws. Brandon Marsh is shifting over to center field while Merrifield plays left. |
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| Mar 29 2024 | Merrifield is not the lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta. However, with the Phillies set to face lefties Saturday and Sunday, Merrifield will likely be in the lineup, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Phillies manager Rob Thomson described Merrifield as effectively the baseball equivalent of a sixth man in the NBA. Merrifield seems confident that he will force the skipper's hand and end up as a regular, as he reportedly told Thomson before signing that he would work himself into the lineup. The 35-year-old Merrifield enjoyed a resurgence last season in Toronto and will be the top backup at several positions, at least for now. |
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| Mar 3 2024 | Merrifield started Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins at third base, something he hasn't done in a regular-season game since 2016. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield may have had another year or two left as an everyday second baseman had he chosen to sign with a non-contender this winter, but his decision to sign with the Phillies means he'll have to prepare for a utility role. Just how often Merrifield finds himself in the lineup may depend primarily on the health and effectiveness of the Phillies' other options. Merrifield should start against most southpaws, in place of either Bryson Stott at second or Brandon Marsh in left field, but if he winds up featuring frequently against righties, it's probably because Johan Rojas played himself out of a starting role in center field. If that were to happen, the likely outcome would be Marsh in center with Merrifield in left in most games. As for the hot corner, that's Alec Bohm's spot, but Merrifield may now be the top backup. |
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| Feb 16 2024 | Merrifield agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with the Phillies on Friday that includes an $8 million club option for 2025, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield may not have an everyday spot in the lineup with his new team, but he should still be able to garner regular playing time between the infield and outfield thanks to his versatility. The 35-year-old played in 145 games for the Blue Jays last season and had a .272/.318/.382 slash line with 11 home runs, 67 RBI, 66 runs and 26 steals. He could see plenty of early action in left field if Brandon Marsh (knee) isn't quite ready for Opening Day. |
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| Nov 2 2023 | Merrifield and the Blue Jays declined his mutual option for the 2024 season Thursday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The option was worth $18 million, so it's little surprise the team is willing to move on given that Merrifield lost playing down the final stretch of the season. He'll be entering his age-35 season, so Merrifield could be looking for a final payday. He maintained a .700 OPS with 11 home runs and 26 steals across 592 plate appearances in 2023. |
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| Oct 3 2023 | Merrifield is not in the lineup for Tuesday's AL Wild Card Series opener against the Twins, Ben Wagner of Sportsnet Radio reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Given his usage down the stretch of the regular season, it's not a surprise to see Merrifield begin this one on the bench. The Blue Jays are opting for Cavan Biggio at second base, Daulton Varsho in left field and Kevin Kiermaier in center. |
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| Sep 20 2023 | Merrifield was added to the lineup for Wednesday's game at Yankee Stadium. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will play second base and bat sixth with Cavan Biggio shifting over to first base. Spencer Horwitz is now serving as the Blue Jays' designated hitter after Vladimir Guerrero (knee) was a late scratch. |
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| Sep 19 2023 | Merrifield is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.careports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield is 3-for-32 in his past nine games and finds himself on the bench for the third time in Toronto's last four contests. The veteran utility man and Daulton Varsho have been splitting time in left field of late, with both players have struggled in September with a sub-.700 OPS. |
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| Sep 17 2023 | Merrifield is out of the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier and Cavan Biggio will start across the outfield for the Blue Jays as Davis Schneider handles second base. Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a walk and an RBI in Toronto's win Saturday versus Boston. |
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| Sep 15 2023 | Merrifield is not in the lineup Friday against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield missed some time earlier this week due to left groin tightness, though he should be available off the bench for the Blue Jays in Friday's series opener versus Boston. Cavan Biggio is starting at second base and Daulton Varsho will play left field. Davis Schneider is serving as Toronto's designated hitter. |
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| Sep 13 2023 | Merrifield (groin) is starting in left field and batting fifth against the Rangers on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 34-year-old sat out the previous two games with groin tightness but will return to the starting nine Wednesday versus Texas lefty Jordan Montgomery. Merrifield is mired in a 1-for-20 slump and has seen his playing time against right-handed pitchers slip, with Davis Schneider handling a larger role at second base. |
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| Sep 12 2023 | Merrifield, who is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Rangers, is dealing with left groin tightness, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Per Davidi, Merrifield is likely available off the bench. He may not have started anyway against tough righty Max Scherzer, as Merrifield has seen his playing time slip against same-handed pitching. |
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| Sep 11 2023 | Merrifield is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield recorded a hit Sunday, but he also went just 1-for-19 (.053) over his last five games, so he will be held out for the second time in three days. Davis Schneider will man the keystone for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. |
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| Sep 9 2023 | Merrifield will sit Saturday against Kansas City. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield hits the bench after going 0-for-4 in each of his last four games. Davis Schneider starts at second base Saturday, while Daulton Varsho starts in left field, the two spots Merrifield has split his time between this season. |
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| Sep 1 2023 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with an RBI-double, a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 13-9 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield singled and stole second base off Chris Flexen in the top of the second before he ripped an RBI-double off Brent Suter in the top of the seventh, driving in Alejandro Kirk in the process. The stolen base was his 25th of the year and second in as many games. After a hot stretch from the beginning of July until mid-August, Merrifield has struggled to a .186 average with four extra-base hits over 59 at-bats since Aug. 16, so he'll hope Friday's performance can get him back on track. |
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| Aug 27 2023 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will join fellow veteran Kevin Kiermaier on the bench for the day game, opening up spots at second base and in the outfield for Cavan Biggio and Davis Schneider, respectively. The day off ends a stretch of 16 consecutive starts for Merrifield, who hit .264 with one home run and two stolen bases during that time. |
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| Aug 13 2023 | Merrifield went 4-for-6 with one double, one RBI, two runs scored and one steal in Sunday's win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has now hit safely in six straight contests, with three multi-hit games and a .429 average over that stretch. 2023 has been a resurgent year for the 34-year-old, whose .302 average is his highest since 2019 as a member of the Royals. Merrifield has added 11 home runs, 55 RBI, 53 runs, and 21 stolen bases on the season and is a mainstay at the top of a potent Blue Jays lineup. |
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| Aug 7 2023 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will get his first day off since July 1, joining Kevin Kiermaier (elbow), Alejandro Kirk and Santiago Espinal as the Blue Jays' reserve position players for the series opener. With Merrifield resting, Cavan Biggio will enter the lineup at second base while rookie Davis Schneider starts in left field and takes over as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter. |
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| Aug 5 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-3 win over the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Blue Jays hit five homers on the night, and Merrifield got things started by driving the first pitch he saw from James Paxton down the left-field line and into the seats atop the Green Monster. The 34-year-old has 10 homers on the season but five of them have come since the All-Star break, and Merrifield is slashing a scorching .354/.361/.570 during that stretch with two steals, 13 RBI and 14 runs in 20 games. |
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| Jul 29 2023 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 4-1 win over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After swiping a bag in the sixth inning he took Jose Soriano deep in the seventh, giving Merrifield eight homers and 21 steals on the season to go with his .305/.354/.425 slash line. The 34-year-old moved up to the leadoff spot Friday, with George Springer shifting down to the five hole, and Merrifield could get a long look at the top of the order given his initial success. |
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| Jul 28 2023 | Merrifield is batting leadoff and starting in right field Friday against the Angels, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Normal leadoff man George Springer has been dropped to the fifth spot in the batting order amidst a slump. Merrifield has earned the ascension to the top of the order by putting up a .968 OPS with five home runs and two stolen bases in July. |
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| Jul 27 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His three-run shot off Tony Gonsolin in the fifth inning put the game out of reach and all but wrapped up a series win for the Blue Jays. Merrifield is putting the finishing touches on a huge July, slashing .352/.377/.592 through 19 games with five of his seven homers on the season to go along with two steals, 14 runs and 16 RBI. |
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| Jul 24 2023 | Merrifield went 4-for-5 with a run scored in Monday's 6-3 extra-innings win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was Merrifield's eighth multi-hit effort in 17 games in July -- he's batting an excellent (.355) for the month. That's also come with some power in the form of four home runs, accounting for a majority of his total (six) this season. The versatile 34-year-old's surge has him up to a .299/.351/.403 slash line with 42 RBI, 43 runs scored and 20 stolen bases over 92 contests. Most importantly, it's helped him stay in the lineup on a near-everyday basis of late, primarily at second base and in left field. |
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| Jul 16 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Diamondbacks. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield singled to lead off the bottom of the second and went on to score the first of two runs for Toronto in the inning. He then came right back in his next at-bat and crushed a hanging changeup from Zac Gallen over the left field wall to lead off the fourth, putting the Blue Jays back on top 3-2. The second baseman has been highly efficient at the plate this month and now has recorded two hits in five of his last seven games. Four of his six home runs on the season have also come in July. |
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| Jul 8 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run, an additional RBI and an additional run scored in Friday's 12-2 win over Detroit. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with an RBI single in the fourth and extended the Blue Jays' advantage to 12-2 with a three-run shot in the ninth. After hitting just two home runs over his first 78 games this season, Merrifield has connected on three long balls over the past two days. Overall, the veteran is slashing .286/.342/.395 with 19 stolen bases, 36 runs scored and 38 RBI across 322 plate appearances, and while his recent power surge is unsustainable, Merrifield is still a valuable offensive player for Toronto. |
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| Jul 6 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader sweep of the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield entered the day with just two homers over 77 contests, and he went 0-for-4 with a walk in an extra-innings win in the matinee. However, the versatile veteran showed in the nightcap that his power isn't entirely sapped, swatting a pair of solo shots to left-center field. Merrifield has never been a big homer producer, though he swatted between 10 and 19 long balls in each of his five full MLB campaigns prior to this season. He has some work to do to reach the double-digit homer mark in 2023, though he's been a useful offensive producer in other ways, compiling a .284/.341/.384 slash line with 19 thefts over 317 plate appearances. |
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| Jul 4 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield opened the scoring with a two-run double in the fourth inning. Tuesday saw him record multiple hits for the first time in his last seven games. The veteran hit .268 in June but faded toward the end of the month. For the season, he's at 19 steals, 32 RBI, 32 runs scored, 17 doubles, two home runs and a .285/.341/.367 slash line through 77 contests. |
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| Jul 1 2023 | Merrifield isn't in the Blue Jays' lineup Saturday against the Red Sox, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in his last two games and will receive Saturday off to regroup. While Merrifield sits, Cavan Biggio will start at second base and bat eighth, and Daulton Varsho will take over in left field. |
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| Jun 19 2023 | Merrifield is not in the starting lineup Monday versus the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will take a seat after he went 3-for-12 with two RBI and a run scored while starting all three games of the team's series with Texas. The 34-year-old has now recorded at least one hit in 10 consecutive games, batting .361 with two doubles, four RBI, two runs and two stolen bases over that stretch. Cavan Biggio will replace him at second base and bat eighth in the series opener with Miami. |
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| Jun 15 2023 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and a steal in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield continues to swing a hot bat in June, recording three hits in Wednesday's win over the Orioles, including an RBI double in the top of the eighth to give the Jays a 2-0 lead. The second baseman is batting .386 this month with five multi-hit games, though he's still sitting at just two home runs on the season. He'll also look to extend current six-game hitting streak when Toronto takes on Baltimore in the final game of the road series. |
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| Jun 12 2023 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran continues to enjoy a summer resurgence. Over his last 20 games, Merrifield is slashing .366/.430/.465, and on the season he's now up to 17 steals through 60 contests -- one more than he managed in 139 games last year. |
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| Jun 4 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a steal in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield got the scoring started Sunday with a two-run double off Kodai Senga in the second inning before swiping his 16th stolen base in the sixth. Merrifield has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late -- he's gone 22-for-57 (.386) over his last 16 games, boosting his slash line to .299/.349/.392 with two homers, 23 RBI and 28 runs scored through 212 plate appearances this season. |
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| Jun 2 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After batting .372 (16-for-43) over the final 12 games in May, Merrifield had no problem carrying his momentum over into June. The 34-year-old's hot streak has pushed his slash line on the season to .295/.345/.388, and with 15 steals in 50 games he's on pace to reach the 40 SB plateau for the third time in his career. |
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| May 24 2023 | Merrifield went 3-for-6 with one double, three runs scored and a steal in Tuesday's win over the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield extended his hitting streak to five games, going 10-for-19 with a home run and two steals in that span. The 34-year-old second baseman has looked like his old self after a down 2022 season. Merrifield is now slashing .295/.345/.397 with two homers, 19 RBI, 24 runs scored and 14 steals (in 15 attempts) through 171 plate appearances. |
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| May 22 2023 | Merrifield went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's loss to Tampa Bay. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was perfect at the plate Monday, highlighted by his two-run shot to put Toronto on the board in the fourth inning. He was stuck in a 9-for-43 (.209) slump since his last multi-hit game May 7. Merrifield is now slashing .287/.339/.387 with 11 extra-base hits and 19 RBI through 41 games. |
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| May 20 2023 | Merrifield is not in the starting lineup Saturday versus the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will get a day off after he went 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the Blue Jays' loss Friday. Merrifield has operated as regular in the lineup this season and although he's batting just .200 since the beginning of May, he doesn't appear to be in danger of losing his starting role. Santiago Espinal will take over at second base and bat eighth against Baltimore. |
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| May 14 2023 | Merrifield went 0-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, a run scored and three stolen bases in Saturday's 5-2 win over Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 34-year-old got off to a slow start on the basepaths this season, but Merrifield seems to have figured out that stealing is easier than ever in 2023. He's now 11-for-12 on stolen base attempts through 32 games, including seven pilfers in the last seven contests thanks to a pair of three-steal performances. His .284 batting average and .341 OBP would also be his best marks since 2019, but he isn't yet showing much power, swatting just one homer with a .388 SLG. |
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| May 12 2023 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 3-0 win over Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He scored Toronto's first run in the fifth inning on a George Springer single, giving Chris Bassitt all the support he would need as the veteran righty tossed a shutout. Merrifield has shrugged off a slow start to the season, and over his last 20 games he's batting .311 (23-for-74) with one homer, eight RBI, nine runs and six of his eight stolen bases on the year. |
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| May 8 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Sunday's 10-1 victory over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield opened the scoring Sunday with an RBI single in the first inning before extending Toronto's lead to 4-0 with a three-run homer off Roansy Contreras in the third. It's the first homer of the season for the 34-year-old Merrifield after he hit 11 in 504 at-bats last season. He's gotten off to a nice start with Toronto, slashing .291/.342/.408 with 12 runs scored, 14 RBI and seven steals through 114 plate appearances. While he's not likely to be a 40-steal threat anymore, Merrifield remains a solid multi-category fantasy option in the middle of a powerful Blue Jays' lineup. |
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| May 6 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three stolen bases in Friday's 4-0 win over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 34-year-old made life miserable for Pittsburgh catcher Austin Hedges every time he reached base, swiping third after a fourth-inning double then taking second and third after a sixth-inning single. Merrifield is still looking for his first homer of the year, but that's about the only blemish on his line to begin his first full season as a Blue Jays -- he's slashing .301/.356/.398 with 10 RBI, 11 runs and seven steals in eight attempts through 26 games. |
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| May 4 2023 | Merrifield is not in the Blue Jays' lineup for Thursday's game in Boston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Jays are going with Cavan Biggio at second base against Brayan Bello. Merrifield began the season with a 22-game on-base streak but has since failed to reach base the last two contests. |
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| Apr 29 2023 | Merrifield is out of the starting lineup Saturday versus the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Cavan Biggio will play second base and bat eighth against the Mariners and right-hander Easton McGee. Daulton Varsho is in left field and George Springer is in right. |
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| Apr 27 2023 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a steal in Wednesday's win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield saw his 10-game hitting streak end Tuesday but got back on track Wednesday, hitting a pair of singles and swiping his fourth bag in a win over the White Sox. The 34-year-old Merrifield has gotten off to a fast start this year following a down 2022 season. He's now slashing .313/.377/.403 with 10 RBI and nine runs scored through 77 plate appearances. |
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| Apr 3 2023 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will sit for the second time in the Blue Jays' first four games of the season after logging starts at second base and left field on the two occasions he was included in the lineup. The keystone looks to be Merrifield's clearest path to steady playing time, but he'll first have to outperform the likes of Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal to secure a larger share of the starts at the position. |
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| Apr 1 2023 | Merrifield will sit Saturday against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield got the start at second base on Opening Day, but it will be Cavan Biggio who takes over in the second game of the year. Merrifield stumbled to a .250/.298/.375 line last season and turned 34 in January, so there's no guarantee he continues to earn everyday at-bats. |
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| Mar 7 2023 | Merrifield (quadriceps) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will rejoin the spring lineup for the first time since last Thursday after a minor right quad injury prompted the Blue Jays to hold him out for a few days. Though he'll be leading off Tuesday, Merrifield will most likely find himself in the bottom half of the batting order during the regular season, at which time George Springer is expected to serve as Toronto's primary table setter. |
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| Mar 5 2023 | Merrifield has been out of Grapefruit League games since Friday due to right quad tightness, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Zwelling reports that the injury is considered minor, and the Blue Jays are being extra cautious. The long-time Royal did go through a full workout on Saturday, and he told reporters that he has more than enough time remaining in Florida to be ready for the regular season. It's an injury to keep an eye on for fantasy managers considering Merrifield for the 2023 campaign, but it appears that he's avoided a serious knock and should be ready for Opening Day. |
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| Oct 8 2022 | Merrifield left Saturday's game against Seattle after taking a pitch off his helmet, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield initially stayed in the game to run the bases but was replaced by Raimel Tapia when the Blue Jays took the field. The fact that the team was leading by seven runs and inserted one of its better outfield defenders suggests that the move may have been at least somewhat tactical rather than purely injury-related. |
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| Oct 5 2022 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will take a seat after starting each of the last 13 games, including the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss in Game 1 of the twin bill. He went 1-for-5 in the early game to finish the regular season with a .251/.299/.376 slash line across 548 plate appearances. Otto Lopez will replace Merrifield at second base in Game 2. |
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| Oct 4 2022 | Merrifield went 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI in Monday's 5-1 win over the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: All three hits were singles, and he was caught stealing, but it was still another productive night for Merrifield. The 33-year-old has three three-hit performances in the last four games, and over his last 12 contests he's slashing a blistering .463/.477/.854 with four doubles, four homers, 10 runs and 11 RBI. |
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| Oct 3 2022 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and an additional run in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since being acquired Aug. 2 from the Royals, Merrifield has largely served as a utility player for the Blue Jays, but the hot bat he's shown of late likely has him in line to handle an everyday role at second base once the postseason begins. Heading into the Blue Jays' final series of the regular season against the Orioles that begins Monday, Merrifield is riding a six-game hit streak and has reached base in all but one of his last 11 contests. During that 11-game stretch, Merrifield is slashing .421/.439/.842 with four home runs, four doubles, nine RBI and nine runs. |
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| Sep 26 2022 | Merrifield will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since coming over in an Aug. 2 deadline deal with the Royals, Merrifield has largely served as a reserve infielder and outfielder, but Santiago Espinal's (oblique) recent move to the injured list has reopened an everyday role for the 33-year-old. Merrifield has made the most of the opportunity thus far, going 6-for-18 with three home runs, two doubles and a walk while scoring four times and driving in six over his last five starts. If he continues to rake as the season winds down, Merrifield could stick around as the Blue Jays' top second baseman even once Espinal is activated. |
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| Sep 25 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored in Saturday's win over Tampa Bay. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield blasted a three-run bomb off lefty reliever Brooks Raley with one out in the seventh inning to give the Blue Jays a three-run lead. The second baseman has gone 6-for-14 during his last four games with two doubles and three home runs. The 33-year-old is pretty versatile as he has spent time at right field in 40 games, center field in 18 games and left field in five games in addition to his 74 games with time spent at second base. |
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| Sep 23 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Thursday's loss against the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After Teoscar Hernandez led off the second inning with a homer, Merrifield came up two batters later and crushed a solo shot of his own to tie the game at 3-3. The second baseman then crushed a two-run homer in the ninth, though the game had already gotten away from the Blue Jays by that point. Merrifield hasn't gotten a whole lot of playing time recently, though he is 5-for-14 (.357) in his last 16 plate appearances with two homers, five RBI, and four runs scored while also drawing two walks in that span. |
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| Aug 23 2022 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Even though George Springer hasn't played the outfield since late July, Merrifield hasn't been able to gain traction as the Blue Jays' everyday option in center field. Jackie Bradley seems to have emerged as the team's preferred center fielder at the moment, as he'll occupy the position for the third straight contest. Until Springer is ready to play center field again while he works past a knee injury, the lefty-hitting Bradley and righty-hitting Merrifield could form a platoon at the position. |
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| Aug 21 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks during Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has been in the strong side of a platoon since being traded to the Blue Jays in early August, and he's gotten off to a slow start at the plate with his new team. Since the trade, the 33-year-old has hit .250 with a homer, six run, two RBI and a stolen base. Merrifield will likely have to settle for occasional days off as long as Santiago Espinal and George Springer remain healthy. |
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| Aug 17 2022 | Merrifield isn't starting Wednesday against the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield went 2-for-8 with a strikeout over his last two games but will retreat to the bench for the third time in the last five matchups. Santiago Espinal is starting at the keystone and batting eighth. |
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| Aug 16 2022 | Merrifield isn't in the lineup Tuesday against Baltimore. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It will be difficult to fit both Merrifield and Santiago Espinal, who's playing second base Tuesday, in the lineup every day now that George Springer's back in action. Merrifield has hit .250 with one RBI and one stolen base in nine games since joining the Blue Jays at the deadline. |
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| Aug 13 2022 | Merrifield isn't starting Saturday against the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield will get a day off after he went 1-for-10 with a walk and two strikeouts over the last three games. Raimel Tapia is staring in center field while Santiago Espinal starts at second base. |
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| Aug 10 2022 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Toronto will roll out an outfield of Lourdes Gurriel, Raimel Tapia and Teoscar Hernandez for the series finale while Merrifield heads to the bench after two straight starts. Since being acquired from the Royals on Aug. 2, Merrifield has gone 6-for-21 (.286 average) with three runs, an RBI and a stolen base through his first six games with the Blue Jays. |
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| Aug 7 2022 | Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has seen each of his first three starts with the Blue Jays in center field, and he should serve as the team's primary option at the position for at least the next week after George Springer (elbow) went on the injured list Saturday. However, Raimel Tapia will get the nod in center field Sunday in place of Merrifield, who has gotten off to a 5-for-13 start to his Blue Jays career while adding two runs, one RBI and one stolen base. |
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| Aug 6 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has opened his career with the Blue Jays by going 5-for-13 in his first three games, though he's also struck out six times. His steal Saturday was his first with his new team and his 16th in 19 attempts this year. He owns a .245/.293/.354 slash line with six home runs, 43 RBI and 53 runs scored in 98 contests, though he's hit in the bottom half of Toronto's order since his debut, which could lead to more RBI chances than he saw atop the Royals' lineup prior to the trade deadline. With George Springer (elbow) going on the injured list Saturday, Merrifield figures to be a near-everyday starter in center field. |
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| Aug 4 2022 | Merrifield, who is batting eighth and starting in center field Thursday at Minnesota, told reporters he has been vaccinated and will be able to travel with the Blue Jays when the team returns to Canada, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old will start in center field in his first game with the Blue Jays while George Springer (elbow) serves as the designated hitter, but the former should be expected to see most of his playing time at the keystone. Merrifield was unable to travel with the Royals for the four-game series in Toronto just before the All-Star break, but he's since been vaccinated and will be able to enter Canada when the team returns for a six-game homestand next Friday. He has a .240/.290/.352 slash line with six home runs, 42 RBI and 15 stolen bases through 95 games this season. |
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| Aug 3 2022 | Merrifield isn't starting Wednesday against the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was traded from the Royals to the Blue Jays on Tuesday but won't make his team debut during Wednesday's series finale in Tampa Bay. Santiago Espinal is starting at the keystone and batting eighth. |
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| Aug 2 2022 | The Blue Jays acquired Merrifield from the Royals on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Max Castillo and infielder Samad Taylor, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield notably wasn't eligible to enter Canada for the Royals' series in Toronto shortly before the All-Star break, so the Blue Jays presumably signed off on the deal with the understanding that the 33-year-old will choose to get vaccinated. If that's the case, Merrifield should settle in as the Blue Jays' everyday second baseman, allowing Santiago Espinal and Cavan Biggio to handle utility roles. Merrifield's performance has dipped in 2022 compared to years past, but he's batting .266 since the beginning of May and has registered 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts this season. |
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| Aug 1 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 2-1 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield's sixth-inning blast provided the Royals' margin of victory. It was his first long ball since July 8, though he knocked five doubles in 12 games between homers. The 33-year-old has maintained a .240/.290/.352 slash line with six homers, 42 RBI, 51 runs scored and 15 stolen bases through 95 contests. Merrifield continues to hit leadoff versus southpaws, but he's lost his spot atop the lineup against right-handed pitchers -- that belongs to MJ Melendez for now. Merrifield's instead hit second the last four times the Royals have faced a righty. |
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| Jul 25 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, a run and a stolen base in a 7-0 win against the Angels on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield hit sixth in the order in each of the Royals' first two games following the All-Star break, but he was back in the leadoff spot for the second straight contest Monday. The veteran scored two of the team's seven runs and swiped his 15th bag of the season, eighth-most in the American League. Though Merrifield's .247/.297/.354 slash line isn't head-turning, it's impressive that he's reached those numbers after slashing .139/.179/.167 through his first 27 contests. |
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| Jul 23 2022 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield provided a two-run double in the third inning, but he was thrown out trying to steal third to end the frame. He returned from a toe injury Friday and went 0-for-4, but Saturday's performance was more impressive. Merrifield has now hit sixth in his last two games, with MJ Melendez instead batting leadoff, though neither of them have sustained a solid batting average this year. Merrifield is up to a .243/.294/.347 slash line with five home runs, 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts, 38 RBI and 45 runs scored through 381 plate appearances. |
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| Jul 22 2022 | Merrifield (toe) is starting Friday against the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield missed the final eight games before the All-Star break due to a toe injury and a trip to the restricted list due to his vaccination status. However, he'll start at the keystone and bat sixth in his return to the lineup. |
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| Jul 18 2022 | The Royals reinstated Merrifield (toe) from the restricted list Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was one of 10 Royals players who will rejoin the 26-man active roster after being ineligible to play during the four-game weekend series in Toronto due his vaccination status. Before he was deactivated Thursday, Merrifield saw his streak of 553 consecutive games played come to an end due to a bone bruise in his right big toe, which sidelined him for a four-game series with Detroit. Merrifield closed the Royals' first-half schedule with a .240/.292/.343 slash line to go with five home runs, 14 stolen bases, 45 runs and 36 RBI in 84 contests, but his availability for the team's first game of the second half Friday against the Rays is in question due to the lingering toe injury. It's unclear if the time on the restricted list plus the All-Star break will provide sufficient time for Merrifield to make a full recovery from the injury. |
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| Jul 14 2022 | The Royals placed Merrifield (toe) on the restricted list Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield saw his streak of 553 consecutive games played come to an end Monday, when he wasn't available for Game 1 of the Royals' doubleheader with the Tigers due to swelling and a bone bruise to a ligament in his right big toe. He proceeded to miss the remaining three games of the series with Detroit and wasn't expected to be available before the All-Star break, but the Royals likely chose to forgo placing him on the injured list knowing that he would land on the restricted list Thursday. Since he's unvaccinated and therefore ineligible to cross the Canadian border, Merrifield won't accompany the Royals to Toronto even though he wasn't on track to play anyway. He'll be reinstated from the restricted list coming out of the All-Star break, at which point he could revert to the IL if he needs more time to recover from the toe injury. |
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| Jul 11 2022 | Merrifield said Monday that he's dealing with swelling and a bone bruise to a ligament in his right big toe and is hopeful to return to the Kansas City lineup following the All-Star break, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Royals delayed placing Merrifield on the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday's doubleheader with the Tigers, but a transaction could come later in the day or Tuesday, given that he's ruling himself out for the entirety of the team's eight-game week. Merrifield noted that a team doctor recommended wearing a walking boot to protect the injured toe, so he could be several days away from resuming on-field activities. Nicky Lopez is expected to serve as the primary replacement at second base while Merrifield is sidelined, paving the way for Emmanuel Rivera to play regularly at third base. Merrifield's absence from the lineup for the front end of Monday's doubleheader ends a streak of 553 games played. |
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| Jul 10 2022 | Manager Mike Matheny said after Sunday's win over the Guardians that Merrifield (toe) had X-rays come back negative and is now awaiting the results of an MRI, Bally Sports Kansas City reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting Sunday's contest after the fourth inning with right toe discomfort. The 33-year-old's availability for Monday's doubleheader against the Tigers is up in the air until the MRI results are returned. |
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| Jul 8 2022 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 4-3 win over Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield singled twice Friday before drilling a game-tying, two-run shot in the eighth inning. It was his fifth long ball of the year and second in his last three games. The 33-year-old entered July with an abysmal .228/.277/.311 but he's gone 12-for-33 (.363) with five extra-base hits and nine runs scored in eight games this month. |
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| Jul 7 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield knocked the third pitch of the game from Houston starter Cristian Javier over the fence for a 360-foot leadoff homer. Long balls are pretty rare for Merrifield -- he hadn't hit one since May 23. He's up to four homers with 34 RBI, 44 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 18 doubles, a triple and a .239/.292/.337 slash line in 80 contests overall. While the batting line is a step down from his usual level, he's hit .286 with a .758 OPS and seven steals in his last 26 games, which is an extended run of success more in line with preseason expectations. |
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| Jul 5 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old continues to look spry on the basepaths. Over his last 16 games, Merrifield is 7-for-8 on steal attempts while slashing .290/.397/.371 with five doubles, six RBI and 11 runs. His power numbers have taken a step backward this season, but with 14 stolen bases through 78 games, he's got a shot at his fourth career campaign with 30-plus pilfers. |
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| Jul 2 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has notched six of his 13 stolen bases this year in his last 14 games, showing a renewed commitment to running. In that span, he's gone 15-for-55 (.273), lifting his season slash line to .233/.282/.317 across 76 contests. He's added three home runs, 33 RBI and 38 runs scored as the Royals' everyday leadoff hitter. Given the recent progress at the plate and fearlessness on the basepaths, Merrifield's looking more reliable in fantasy now than he was even two weeks ago, though he still shouldn't be counted on for power. |
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| Jul 1 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, a run scored and a walk in Friday's 3-1 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield had a lengthy stretch without a steal, but he's now posted five thefts in his last 13 contests. He's gone 13-for-51 (.255) in that span. The 33-year-old is up to a .230/.280/.315 slash line with 12 steals in 14 attempts, three home runs, 32 RBI, 37 runs scored and 17 doubles in 75 contests. Despite his career-worst batting line, he's still regularly serving as the leadoff hitter in an everyday role. |
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| Jun 28 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Monday's 10-4 loss to the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was a strong showing from the 33-year-old, who seems to have found his groove on the basepaths. Four of Merrifield's 11 steals on the season have come in the last 10 games, a stretch during which he's batting .286 (12-for-42) with three doubles, five runs and five RBI. |
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| Jun 27 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a steal in Sunday's loss against the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was able to swipe second base off James Kaprielian in Sunday's matchup. It was his second stolen base of the week, his third of the month and his tenth of the year. The second baseman also picked up a hit in the game, his fifth in six games. Despite possessing a .227 season batting average, Merrifield is slashing .250/.317/.293 in June. |
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| Jun 20 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 6-2 win over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield had a 21-game span with no steals recently, but he's notched a pair of thefts in his last four games while going 5-for-17 (.294) in that span. The 33-year-old is now 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts this year. The renewed hitting is a welcome sight, though his season slash line remains at .229/.273/.310 with three home runs, 28 RBI, 32 runs scored and 13 doubles through 66 contests. |
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| Jun 17 2022 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 5-1 win over the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield entered Friday just 2-for-14 in his last four contests. The 33-year-old also picked up his first steal since May 23, giving him eight thefts in nine attempts this year. He's still managed a rather mediocre .232/.270/.317 slash line with three home runs, 27 RBI, 31 runs scored and 13 doubles across 282 plate appearances, though he remains locked in as the Royals' leadoff hitter. |
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| Jun 7 2022 | Merrifield hasn't attempted a stolen base since he was caught stealing May 24. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old has gone 10-for-49 (.204) with three walks, six strikeouts, six RBI and five runs in his last 12 games. Merrifield was hot for much of the middle of May, but the versatile veteran is back in a slump again. He's now slashing .217/.258/.308 with three home runs, 24 RBI, 25 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 54 contests overall. With the Royals a major-league worst 17-37, Merrifield's running might not come back, and he's not hitting well enough to help many fantasy managers without displaying some speed. |
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| May 23 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and a stolen base in Monday's loss to the Diamondbacks. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield kicked things off for the Kansas City offense with a leadoff homer in the first inning, one of three long balls the team hit in the frame. He scored another run in the second inning after singling, stealing second and coming around on an error. After a brutal start to the campaign, Merrifield is batting .350 (21-for-60) over his past 14 games, adding three homers, 11 RBI, four stolen bases and 15 runs over that span. |
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| May 20 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, a walk and a run scored in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield saw a 10-game hitting streak end Thursday versus the White Sox, but he was right back at it Friday. The versatile 33-year-old's surge has lifted his slash line to .206/.243/.277 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 15 runs scored and six stolen bases through 38 contests this season. He'll continue to see time at both second base and in the outfield, especially with Michael Taylor (illness) missing from his usual spot in center field. |
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| May 19 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with an RBI and his sixth stolen base of the season in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield's season-long batting average (.204) barely sits over the Mendoza Line, but after a brutal first month, he's at least started to settle in nicely at the plate. His base hit Wednesday extended his hitting streak to a 10 games, with the 33-year-old having slashed .372/.391/.558 with two home runs, two doubles, three stolen bases, 10 runs and 10 RBI over that stretch. He's since recaptured the leadoff job for Kansas City and once again finds himself atop the lineup for Thursday's series finale. |
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| May 15 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield hit a solo shot in the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh. It's been a bounce-back week for the 33-year-old, who has hit safely in six straight games, going 10-for-27 (.370) with both of his home runs this season in that span. For the year, he's at a .183/.213/.252 slash line with 13 RBI, 13 runs scored and five stolen bases in 32 contests, though the recent uptick in hitting should be encouraging for fantasy managers who have been patient with him. |
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| May 14 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base in a loss to the Rockies on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was slotted atop the order for the second straight game and extended his modest hitting streak to five contests with a third-inning single that plated a run. He subsequently stole second base and came around to score on a Salvador Perez long ball. Merrifield's average still sits at .173 on the season, but he's starting to round back into form, going 8-for-23 with a home run, five RBI, eight runs and two steals over his past five games. |
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| May 11 2022 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, four total runs and a stolen base in a win over the Rangers on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has struggled so much this season that he was dropped to the eighth spot in the order Tuesday. He responded with a single and an RBI in his first game in that position, then broke through Wednesday with his first three-hit game and first long ball of the campaign. Merrifield also notched his first stolen base since April 14. The second baseman hasn't hit any lower than .277 in any of his six big-league campaigns, so it stands to reason that he'll break out of his early-season funk at some point. His performance Wednesday may very well be the spark that gets him going. |
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| May 1 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with two walks in Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield hadn't gotten on base multiple times in a game since April 12 as he's struggled to begin the season. The versatile veteran is slashing just .141/.190/.179 with three stolen bases, four RBI, four runs scored and three doubles in 19 contests. He's been bumped from the leadoff spot for Nicky Lopez, though neither of them are doing much to impress with the bat. With Adalberto Mondesi (knee) likely out for the season, Merrifield should serve as the everyday second baseman. His strong defense is enough to keep him in the lineup, allowing him the opportunity to play through a slump on offense. |
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| Apr 14 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a RBI and a stolen base in a 4-2 loss Thursday against Detroit. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield tied the game at two with a RBI single in the fourth inning and stole second before being stranded. It was his third consecutive game with at least one hit and a stolen base. The rightfielder also had a critical outfield assist in the sixth, throwing out Austin Meadows at the plate and, temporarily, keeping the score tied. He has now hit leadoff and started in right field in every game this season. |
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| Apr 13 2022 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has stolen a base in each of the last two games. His offense has also ticked upward in that stretch -- he went 3-for-8 with an RBI in that span. The 33-year-old speedster remains a fixture atop the Royals' lineup. He hasn't missed a game since the 2018 season, so it would likely take a significant slump for him to lose the leadoff spot in the order by performance. |
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| Apr 11 2022 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's 10-7 loss to the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield singled and swiped second in the first inning before collecting an RBI on a fourth-inning groundout. The speedy veteran was in a 1-for-12 slump to begin the season before Monday's multi-hit effort. He hasn't recorded a strikeout since punching out twice on Opening Day. |
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| Apr 6 2022 | Merrifield and the Royals agreed to a restructured contract Wednesday, which includes the team exercising his $6.75 million club option for 2023 while adding an $18 million mutual option for 2024, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield hasn't missed a game of the past three seasons and is now officially locked in with Kansas City through the 2023 campaign. The 33-year-old had a .277/.317/.395 slash line with 10 home runs, 97 runs, 74 RBI and 40 stolen bases last year and is poised to operate as the Royals' primary right fielder in 2022. |
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| Mar 16 2022 | Merrifield is expected to begin the season as the Royals' primary right fielder, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield provided quality defense at second base last season, but the Royals plan on using Adalberto Mondesi at shortstop, which moves Nicky Lopez back to second. This likely won't effect Merrifield's versatility -- he's moved between the infield and outfield with relative ease before and will likely draw some starts in a number of positions this season. The 33-year-old hasn't missed a game in this last three years, and he's twice logged 40 stolen bases in his career, so he's a quality fantasy option for managers in need of speed. |
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| Oct 2 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 11-6 win over Minnesota. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Across his last nine games, the second baseman is batting .314 (11-for-35). Merrifield hasn't attempted a stolen base since Sept. 11, and he hasn't successfully notched a theft since Sept. 8. He's slashing .279/.319/.397 with 40 steals, 10 home runs, 74 RBI and 97 runs scored across 711 plate appearances, and he's on track to play in every game for the third straight season. |
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| Sep 26 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run scored in Sunday's 2-1 win over Detroit. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The second baseman has recorded multiple hits in six of his last 13 games, although he's also posted 0-fers in four of those contests. Merrifield lifted his slash line to .280/.320/.398 with 10 home runs, 40 stolen bases, 72 RBI, 93 runs scored and 39 doubles through 688 plate appearances. The leadoff hitter has put together a solid year even though his .718 OPS is his second-lowest mark in six seasons in the big leagues. |
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| Sep 15 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 10-7 win over Oakland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has recorded consecutive three-hit efforts, although all three knocks Tuesday were singles. The second baseman is batting a solid .283 through 13 games in September, right in line with his .280 average this season. He's added 10 home runs, 70 RBI, 88 runs scored and 40 stolen bases through 640 plate appearances overall. |
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| Sep 13 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield led the game off with a double off Baily Ober and eventually came around to score in the inning. He later doubled again in the fifth to drive in a run and then led off the ninth with a single and scored again to give the Royals an insurance run. It was the 32-year-old's second three-hit effort over his last five games, raising his slash line for the year to .277/.320/.399 with 48 extra-base hits, 69 RBI, 86 runs scored, 40 steals and 37:86 BB:K over 635 at-bats. |
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| Sep 9 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 9-8 loss to the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old has now reached the 40-steal plateau for the second time in his career, leaving him three back of Starling Marte for the major-league lead. Merrifield is finishing up the season on a roll, slashing .315/.347/.483 over his last 20 games with two homers, six stolen bases, 11 RBI and 19 runs. |
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| Sep 8 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to Baltimore. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The speedy second baseman had gone nine games without a steal, a span during which he batted a meager .237 (9-for-38). Merrifield is up to 39 steals in 42 attempts after his theft Tuesday. He's added a .277/.321/.399 slash line with 10 home runs, 68 RBI, 81 runs scored, 32 doubles and three triples as an everyday presence atop the Kansas City lineup. |
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| Aug 28 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 win over Seattle. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After being stuck on eight homers for nearly two months, Merrifield has gone yard twice in his last four games to reach the double-digits mark. He's been on a surge at the plate this month, batting .315 with two long balls, 14 RBI, 20 runs scored and six doubles through his last 26 contests. Merrifield also ranks second in the majors with 38 stolen bases, providing great speed and strong on-base abilities atop Kansas City's lineup. |
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| Aug 26 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and a double in Wednesday's loss to Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The second baseman's long ball with the bases loaded in the seventh inning gave the Royals a two-run lead, but the Astros rallied and eventually pulled out the win. Merrifield's homer was his first since June 30 -- a span of 47 games. However, he racked up 15 thefts over that span and ranks second in the majors with 37 stolen bases on the season. |
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| Aug 23 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBI in a 7-1 triumph over Houston on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield provided his usual spark atop the order, singling in the fifth, doubling home an insurance run in the seventh and tripling in two more in the eighth to record hits in each of his final three at-bats. He's strung together a modest five-game hitting streak that features an 8-for-14 stretch over his last three games, though the two extra-base hits equaled his prior August total. |
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| Aug 21 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The top of the order did its job and then some for Kansas City, as Merrifield and Nicky Lopez combined for six hits and three steals. Merrifield's MLB-leading stolen base total is up to 37, including eight in his last 13 games, and he's closing in on surpassing the career-high 45 he swiped in 2018. |
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| Aug 20 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While he's gone just 3-for-18 in his last four games, Merrifield has managed to record a pair of steals in that span. His major-league-leading total is up to 36 thefts in 38 attempts. The second baseman owns a .272/.317/.384 slash line with eight home runs, 57 RBI and 67 runs scored in 121 games from his usual leadoff spot in the order. |
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| Aug 19 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 6-3 extra-inning loss to Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield helped manufacture the opening run in the first inning. He singled, then moved to second on a Nicky Lopez sacrifice, stole third and scored on a Salvador Perez sacrifice fly. In August alone, Merrifield has recorded eight stolen bases in 17 games. He's up to 35 for the year to go with eight home runs, 57 RBI, 66 runs scored and a .273/.318/.385 slash line in 525 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 16 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 7-6 win over Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The second baseman rattled off three singles in the contest and recorded his 34th stolen base of the season in the first inning. He's swung a hot bat lately, going 11-for-24 (.458) in his last six games. The leadoff hitter owns a .276/.322/.392 slash line through 512 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 11 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The second baseman has logged a steal in four consecutive games and six of his last eight, although he was also caught stealing for the first time since April 11. Merrifield has also put up back-to-back multi-hit efforts. He's slashing .272/.317/.389 with 33 steals in 35 attempts, 63 runs scored, 54 RBI and eight home runs through 495 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 10 2021 | Merrifield went 0-for-5 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 8-6 extra-innings loss to the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield manufactured a run in the ninth inning as he walked, stole second and scored on a Nicky Lopez single to tie the game at 3-3. Through eight games in August, Merrifield has gone just 6-for-33 (.182), but he's added four stolen bases. The second baseman is now 31-for-32 in steals while adding a .266/.313/.384 slash line, eight home runs, 54 RBI and 60 runs scored in 111 contests. |
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| Aug 8 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 6-5 win over St. Louis. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old retook sole possession of the major-league lead in steals with his 30th in Sunday's contest. Even more impressively, he's only been caught once this year. Merrifield has added a .269/.315/.388 slash line with eight home runs, 54 RBI and 59 runs scored through 110 games. |
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| Aug 6 2021 | Merrifield went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's 3-2 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While the second baseman went hitless for the second time in three games, he attempted to make an impact in his lone trip on base. Merrifield continues to be one of baseball's best speedsters with 29 stolen bases in 30 attempts this year. He's added a .272/.317/.394 slash line with eight home runs, 54 RBI, 58 runs scored and a pair of triples in 467 plate appearances as Kansas City's leadoff hitter. |
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| Aug 5 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 9-1 victory over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: As usual, the second baseman served as an offensive catalyst from the top of the order, scoring the game's first run after singling and swiping a bag in the first inning. He leads MLB with 28 thefts on the season, with three of his steals coming in his past five games. Merrifield has collected at least one hit in 13 of his past 14 contests. |
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| Jul 31 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Both steals came in the eighth inning off Brad Hand, as the Royals' leadoff hitter tried to spur a rally. Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 10 games with the performance and pushed his league-leading stolen base total to 27. |
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| Jul 22 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old has slowed down at the plate. slashing .203/.254/.237 through 15 games in July without a homer, but Merrifield remains the steadiest source of steals in baseball. Wednesday's theft was his MLB-leading 25th of the year, and no one else in the AL has more than 16 (Tim Anderson). |
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| Jul 16 2021 | Merrifield went 4-for-4 with a double, two runs and three RBI in Friday's 9-2 win over the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Batting out of his customary leadoff position, Merrifield notched his first four-hit game of the campaign. The only out he made was still productive, as he knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. The veteran pushed his season batting average up to .278 with the big effort, and he collected nearly as many hits in this contest as he had during his first 10 games of July, during which he batted .132 (5-for-38). |
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| Jul 8 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base Thursday against Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield opened the scoring in the third inning, singling home Michael Taylor for his 46th RBI of the season. He also reached base on an Amed Rosario throwing error in the fifth and promptly stole second base, his major league-leading 24th theft on the year. Merrifield's bat has gone cold over the last six contests -- Thursday's hit was just his second in his last 28 at-bats (.071) -- but the 32-year-old is still slashing a solid .275/.328/.414 overall in 2021. |
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| Jul 4 2021 | Merrifield went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and a stolen base in Saturday's 6-3 win over Minnesota. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While the 32-year-old went hitless for just the second time in his last 19 games, he was still able to add to his major-league leading steals total. Merrifield is now 23-for-24 on the basepaths, and his recent success at the dish has lifted his season slash line to .287/.338/.435 in 358 plate appearances. He's added eight home runs, 45 RBI and 50 runs scored from the top of Kansas City's order. |
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| Jun 30 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield led off the game with an opposite-field home run that traveled only 343 feet and barely cleared the wall in right field. He walked his next time up and then singled and stole his league-high 22nd base of the year. The 32-year-old is slashing .287/.336/.435 with eight homers, 45 RBI, 48 runs scored and a 23:43 BB:K over 342 plate appearances. |
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| Jun 28 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield singled and scored in the first inning before launching a solo homer in the second. It was his seventh homer of the season and first since June 20. The 32-year-old owns a .757 OPS with 27 extra-base hits through 337 plate appearances. |
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| Jun 27 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's loss against Texas. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was one of three Kansas City players that recorded at least two knocks, but he made his presence felt on the box score with an RBI single in the fifth inning that scored Kelvin Gutierrez. With this RBI, Merrifield now has 43 RBI while also hitting .279 on the campaign. |
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| Jun 24 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's 8-1 loss to the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was his sixth stolen base in June and his 21st in 22 attempts on the year. Merrifield is slashing a solid .272/.324/.403 with six home runs, 41 RBI and 45 runs scored across 321 plate appearances. He's seen time at second base and the corner outfield positions, but he's also remained a steady presence atop the batting order. |
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| Jun 20 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's win over the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield blasted his sixth homer of the season during the sixth inning off reliever Yacksel Rios, and that means he's now hit safely in seven straight games while posting five multi-hit performances during that stretch. In fact, Merrifield has hit safely in all but two of Kansas City's games this month and is hitting an impressive .337 during June. |
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| Jun 19 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk and three stolen bases in Saturday's 7-1 loss to the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: MLB's steals leader did his best to get himself in scoring position, but the rest of the Royals' batting order couldn't cash him in. Merrifield hadn't swiped a bag since June 4 but he's up to 20 stolen bases on the year in 21 attempts, in addition to his .272 batting average, five homers, 38 RBI and 41 runs through 69 contests. |
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| Jun 15 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored in Monday's 10-3 loss to Detroit. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The second baseman had gone 8-for-39 (.205) in nine games prior to Monday's strong effort at the dish. Merrifield also hasn't stolen a base since June 4. The speedy 32-year-old has a .263/.317/.388 slash line with five home runs, 36 RBI, 39 runs scored and 17 stolen bases across 284 plate appearances. |
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| Jun 5 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, two runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's 14-5 win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield did all his damage in the first inning. He led off with a single and then stole his league-high 17th base of the season. He then later came up to bat again in the same inning and belted a three-run homer to cap off a nine-run inning for the Royals. He's slashing .264/.322/.396 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored and an 18:24 BB:K this season. His batting average is a bit lower than what fantasy managers are accustomed to and the long ball was his first since May 5, but he's blowing away the field with his 17 steals and has only been caught once. |
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| Jun 1 2021 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with an RBI single, a stolen base and two runs scored in Tuesday's 10-5 win over Pittsburgh. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While he's been a solid hitter all year, Merrifield has picked up the pace with three multi-hit efforts in the last five games. He's gone 8-for-24 with two stolen bases, five RBI and seven runs scored in that span. Kansas City's leadoff hitter is slashing .259/.320/.380 with a league-leading 16 steals, four home runs, 29 RBI and 35 runs scored in 53 games overall. |
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| May 30 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with an RBI single, a double, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over Minnesota. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The second baseman hit a leadoff double and scored on an Andrew Benintendi single in the first inning. Merrifield also hit and RBI single, stole second and scored on a Salvador Perez single in the fifth. Merrifield leads baseball with 15 stolen bases this year. He's added a .251/.317/.374 slash line with four home runs, 28 RBI and 32 runs scored across 221 plate appearances. While his power is down in 2021 after slugging .440 last year, the 32-year-old remains a threat with his legs on the basepaths. |
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| May 29 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 8-3 win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The RBI were his first since May 16, while the multi-hit effort was his first since May 15. The recent swoon has dragged Merrifield's OPS down to .697, which would be the lowest mark of his career, but he's still been productive with four homers, 14 steals, 27 RBI and 30 runs through 49 games. |
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| May 26 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In the sixth inning, Merrifield drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third. The speedster has already racked up 14 steals in 47 games this season. He's slashing .251/.322/.374 with four home runs, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored in 205 plate appearances. Merrifield may eventually share the leadoff spot in the order with Adalberto Mondesi, who returned from an oblique injury Tuesday. |
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| May 23 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 7-5 win over Detroit. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield drew a leadoff walk in the first inning and scored on an Andrew Benintendi single. In the eighth, Merrifield reached on an infield single and stole second for his 13th stolen base of the year. The 32-year-old has added four home runs, 24 RBI, 27 runs scored and a .250/.321/.381 slash line in 193 plate appearances as Kansas City's main leadoff hitter. |
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| May 16 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a stolen base and two runs scored in Saturday's 5-1 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old executed a double-steal with Carlos Santana in the first inning. Merrifield continues to lead the majors with 12 stolen bases in 39 games, matching his total from 60 contests last year. He's slashing .262/.327/.409 with four home runs, 23 RBI, 24 runs scored and 10 doubles as Kansas City's everyday leadoff hitter. |
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| May 9 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield doubled and came around to score the game's first run in the first inning. He then singled and swiped his league-leading 11th base of the season. The 32-year-old is slashing .271/.327/.419 this season and has a hit in eight of nine games to begin May. |
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| May 4 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-2 with three walks, a run scored and a pair of stolen bases during Tuesday's loss to Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield had himself another solid night at the plate, reaching four times while stealing a pair of stolen bases, marking the fourth time that he has swiped multiple bags in a game this year. The 32-year-old currently leads the league with 10 stolen bases while slashing .273/.333/.436 with four home runs. |
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| May 3 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run in Monday's 8-6 loss to Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He took Aaron Civale deep in the fourth inning, giving the Royals a short-lived 3-1 lead, Merrifield snapped a 22-game homerless drought with the blast, and on the season he's hitting .269 with four home runs, eight steals, 18 runs and 21 RBI through 27 contests. |
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| Apr 26 2021 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Monday's 3-2 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield notched his 15th RBI of the 2021 season in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly to left field, driving in what turned out to be the game-winning run. The 32-year-old is slashing .286/.319/.440 with three homers and is tied for the league lead in stolen bases with Ramon Laureano at eight through 21 games. |
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| Apr 25 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a run, one RBI and two stolen bases in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield put the Royals on the board with an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning Sunday, and his two stolen bases marked the third time that he had swiped multiple bags in a game this year. The 32-year-old is slashing .284/.322/.444 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 14 runs and eight stolen bases in 2021. |
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| Apr 23 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with an RBI single, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield plated Michael Taylor with a single and came around to score on Jorge Soler's two-run double in the fifth inning. In the ninth, Merrifield and Carlos Santana executed a double-steal, but neither of them scored. The speedy Merrifield has six stolen bases, three home runs, 13 RBI, 13 runs scored and a .292/.333/.472 slash line through 81 plate appearances atop the Royals' order. |
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| Apr 18 2021 | Merrifield went 0-for-3 with two walks and two stolen bases in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Blue Jays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield is now 5-for-6 on the basepaths this season. The second baseman is slashing .321/.371/.547 with three homers 11 RBI, 10 runs scored and three doubles through 62 plate appearances. |
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| Apr 14 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored Tuesday in a victory over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield was an effective catalyst from the top of the Royals' lineup, twice turning a single and stolen base into a run. The 31-year-old has reached base in all but one of his nine contests this season and has racked up five multi-hit efforts. He is slashing .389/.415/.694 across 36 plate appearances while posting three home runs, 10 RBI, three stolen bases and eight runs scored. |
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| Apr 11 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield knocked in Kyle Isbel with a single in the fifth inning. In the 10th, Merrifield was intentionally walked, then moved to second on an error and executed a double-steal with Andrew Benintendi. Sunday was the first time Merrifield attempted a steal this season -- he went 1-for-2 on the basepaths in this game. The second baseman has added a slash line of .393/.424/.750 with three homers, 10 RBI and five runs scored across 33 plate appearances. As long as he's in a leadoff role, the 32-year-old could provide solid value in all five roto categories. |
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| Apr 5 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Monday's 3-0 victory over Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield left the yard in the top of the second inning, clubbing a two-run homer over the fence in left. He would later plate a run on a sacrifice fly. The 32-year-old right fielder is 8-for-16 at the dish and has already racked up three homers and nine RBI through his first four contests of the 2021 season. |
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| Apr 3 2021 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, four RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 11-4 win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield helped the Royals' comeback by knocking in a run on a fielder's choice in the fifth inning. He added a two-run single in the sixth and a solo shot in the eighth to complete a strong performance. The second baseman isn't the biggest power threat, but he's already gone yard twice in two games. Merrifield has added six RBI, four runs scored while feasting on the Rangers' pitching over the first weekend of the season. |
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| Mar 22 2021 | Entering play Monday, Merrifield has gone 12-for-27 (.444 average) with four doubles and a 0-for-2 success rate on stolen-base attempts through 10 Cactus League games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With batting averages of .280 or better in every season of his career, Merrifield looks poised to find himself near the top of the AL leaderboard category during his sixth season in Kansas City. He'll likely chip in plenty of runs while reprising his familiar role as the Royals' leadoff man, and while the 30-plus steals he notched in both 2017 and 2018 are probably out of reach at this stage of his career, the 32-year-old should at least remain a double-digit stolen-base threat. Merrifield's Statcast-measured sprint speed ranked in the 89th percentile of all players in 2020, suggesting he still boasts some premium wheels. |
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| Sep 25 2020 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 3-2 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield and fellow speedster Adalberto Mondesi pulled off a double-steal in the first inning. This put Merrifield in position to score when Ryan O'Hearn drew a bases-loaded walk. The steal was Merrifield's 12th of the year, to go with nine homers, 30 RBI, 36 runs scored and a .280/.324/.439 slash line in 58 contests. |
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| Sep 16 2020 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases Wednesday against Detroit. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield began the sixth inning with a single. One batter later he stole second base, and ultimately came around to score after Salvador Perez delivered a double. Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi ran on a double steal in eighth frame, getting Merrifield to 10 stolen bags on the season. Overall, Merrifield is hitting .279/.330/.466 with nine home runs, 31 runs scored and 29 RBI across 221 plate appearances. |
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| Sep 13 2020 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and one run scored Sunday against the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield had a strong day atop the Royals order, reaching base in all but one plate appearance. He's now delivered five multi-hit performances in his last six starts, smacking two homers, driving in seven and scoring seven runs in the process. Overall, he's had a strong campaign, hitting .273/.327/.464 across 211 plate appearances. |
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| Sep 8 2020 | Merriefield went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run, a double and an additional run scored during Tuesday's win over Cleveland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 31-year-old entered Tuesday 2-for-34 over his previous eight contests, but he broke out with the third-inning, three-run homer of Jakob Junis. Merrifield has a .253/.303/.443 slash line with eight homers, nine doubles, 25 RBI and seven stolen bases in 43 games this season. |
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| Sep 7 2020 | Merrifield will start at second base and will bat leadoff Monday against the Indians, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield has hit out of the leadoff spot in all 42 of the Royals' games this season, and he doesn't look on track to lose out on that job even though he's currently in the midst of his roughest stretch of the campaign. Over the past seven contests, Merrifield has gone 1-for-30, dropping his season average from .296 to .248 over that stretch. |
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| Aug 30 2020 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base Sunday against the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield took Steve Cishek deep in the eighth inning to tie the game at two. It was his seventh home run of the season, and second in the team's series against the White Sox. Earlier in the contest, Merrifield swiped his seventh base of the season after reaching base on a single. Overall, he's hitting .296/.356/.511 with 22 RBI and 22 runs scored across 149 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 29 2020 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-5 loss to the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The third-inning shot off Reynaldo Lopez was Merrifield's first homer since Aug 15, but he's hardly been slacking at the plate. On the season, the 31-year-old has a .297/.345/.500 slash line with six homers, six steals, 20 RBI and 21 runs through 32 games. |
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| Aug 19 2020 | Merrifield went 0-for-2 with two stolen bases and a walk in a 5-0 loss to the Reds in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield drew a leadoff walk in the fourth inning, then stole second and third base, but the Royals weren't able to bring him home. He doubled his steals total to four in 25 games this season. The 31-year-old is slashing .302/.358/.510 with five homers, 17 RBI and 18 runs scored. |
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| Aug 15 2020 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in a 4-2 win over the Twins during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After tying the score in the second inning with an RBI single, Merrifield launched a Jose Berrios changeup in the fourth inning for a three-run shot to account for all the Royals' offense. The 31-year-old extended his hit streak to five games with the performance, and on the year Merrifield now has five homers and 16 RBI through 20 games. |
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| Aug 7 2020 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, three runs, a walk and a stolen base in Thursday 13-2 rout over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield batted out of his customary leadoff spot and led a relentless Royals attack in the easy win, belting a two-run homer in the second inning and coming around to score another run after drawing a walk and stealing a bag in the second. The 31-year-old is enjoying another productive campaign at the plate, slashing .298/.344/.561 with four home runs and 11 RBI through 61 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 1 2020 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and a caught stealing during Saturday's 11-5 loss to the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 31-year-old was in the midst of a mini-slump as he was 0-for-9 over the past two games, but he got things going again Saturday. Merrifield is 12-for-37 with three home runs, three doubles, eight runs, nine RBI and one stolen base through nine games in 2020. |
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| Jul 28 2020 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Tuesday against the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield took Rony Garcia deep in the third inning, supplying the entirety of the Royals' offense for the night. The shot was Merrifield's second of the season, and second in as many games. Having also recorded a steal in the team's season opener, Merrifield has gotten off to a strong start in the sprint season. |
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| Jul 27 2020 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a homer, a double, three RBI and three runs scored in Monday's 14-6 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield stuffed the stat sheet Monday, clocking a two-run homer in the third innings and an RBI double in the fourth. After earning his first All-Star nod in 2019, the 31-year-old utilityman is off to a hot start with a hit in each of his first four games to start the season. |
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| Jul 24 2020 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a stolen base during Friday's 2-0 loss against the Indians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield failed to make an impact at the top of the order, but the entire Royals lineup struggled in this season opener -- they went 4-for-30 and 0-for-2 with RISP. Merrifield is a good bet to produce sooner than later, though, as he racked up 206 hits while posting a .302 average and a .348 on-base percentage during the 2019 season. |
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| Mar 18 2020 | Merrifield is expected to see more time in center field this season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The acquisition of Maikel Franco in December is pushing Hunter Dozier to right field, and Nicky Lopez is expected to work at second base. Merrifield appeared in 138 games between those two positions last season, while totaling 17 games in center field. Merrifield's trademark versatility means he's still likely to move around the diamond, but his role in center field figures to be more significant than previous seasons once baseball is able to resume. |
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| Dec 19 2019 | Merrifield will likely take over as the Royals' primary center fielder in 2020, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Royals signed Maikel Franco on Thursday, so Hunter Dozier is likely to transition to a role in right field with Merrifield taking over the duties in center field. The 30-year-old's defensive versatility will also likely allow him to shift to different positions during the season if injuries should occur. |
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| Sep 17 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with three runs Monday in the Royals' 6-5 win over the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Merrifield hasn't been running much lately -- he has three steals in five attempts since Aug. 1 -- but he's maintained his high-contact ways throughout the campaign and is on track for a second straight season with an average above .300. The 30-year-old has banged out two hits in each of his last three games and has accrued a .371/.391/.516 slash line thus far in September. |
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| Aug 29 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two runs scored Thursday against the Athletics. | |
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| Aug 21 2019 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Orioles. | |
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| Aug 9 2019 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk Friday night against the Tigers. | |
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| Jul 29 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double and run Sunday in the Royals' 9-6 win over | the Indians. |
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| Jul 19 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a triple, a double, three RBI and a run scored Friday against the Indians. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 17 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, two walks and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-5 victory over the White Sox | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 16 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and two runs in an 11-0 victory against the White Sox on Tuesday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 6 2019 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk and stolen base in a 6-0 loss to the Nationals on Saturday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 6 2019 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk and stolen base during a 6-0 loss against the Nationals on Saturday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 3 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a run scored Tuesday in the Royals' 9-5 loss to the Indians. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 26 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run Tuesday in the Royals' 8-6 win over the Indians. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 19 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, six RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's rout of the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 19 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, six runs batted in and three runs scored in Tuesday's rout of the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 16 2019 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a walk, one RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 8-6 win over Minnesota. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 9 2019 | Merrifield went hitless and struck out twice in four at-bats Sunday in the Royals' 5-2 loss to the White Sox. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 25 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer as the Royals dropped the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Yankees. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 25 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run as the Royals dropped the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Yankees. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 19 2019 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and two RBI in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Angels. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 14 2019 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 11-5 win over the Rangers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 14 2019 | Merrifield is expected to see the majority of his starts in the outfield rather than at second base for the foreseeable future with the Royals set to promote middle infielder Nicky Lopez from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 8 2019 | Merrifield went 4-for-5 with a triple, a home run, three runs scored, five RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 12-2 rout of the Astros. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 11 2018 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Twins. | Merrifield recorded both of his doubles against starter Aaron Slegers, giving him 29 doubles on the year (which ties him for second in the majors). Merrifield has a 12-game hitting streak in the works and is now slashing .306/.375/.435 on the year. The 29-year-old has five homers, 29 RBI, 39 runs and 16 stolen bases this season. |
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| Jun 30 2018 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a run scored Saturday against the Mariners. | Merrifield collected three singles, so it wasn't his most productive three-hit game. That remains a trend for him, as he has now failed to record an extra-base hit in his past three games, all of which of have been multi-hit efforts. While his .289 batting average and .362 on-base percentage are strong, Merrifield has not homered since May 14, so expecting power production from him moving forward is not advisable. |
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| Jun 24 2018 | Merrifield is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros, Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star reports. | This was described as a rest day by Torres -- nothing to suggest the left knee is still an issue. Merrifield hasn't homered since May 14 and is well off his power pace from a season ago, but he continues to hit for average and run, with his 16 steals ranking second in the American League. Raul Mondesi will get the start at second base in Merrifield's absence Sunday as Rosell Herrera leads off. |
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| Jun 18 2018 | Merrifield (knee) will serve as the designated hitter Monday against the Rangers. | Merrifield may not be fully recovered from the bruise he suffered after fouling a ball off his knee Sunday, but he's at least able to hit. Adalberto Mondesi will handle second base Monday. |
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| Jun 17 2018 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with an RBI-double and a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Astros. | Merrifield now has four multi-hit efforts over the last five games, raising his batting average from .283 to .295 over that stretch. On top of his solid .295/.372/.425 slash line this season, Merrifield's 15 stolen bases are the second most in the American League behind only Dee Gordon. |
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| Jun 17 2018 | Merrifield was removed from Sunday's game against the Astros in the bottom of the second inning after fouling a ball off his left knee, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports. | Merrifield looked to be in considerable pain as he limped off the field, suggesting the injury could be more than a day-to-day concern for the versatile speedster. The Royals will likely evaluate Merrifield later Sunday or Monday before the severity of the injury is revealed. Adalberto Mondesi, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha earlier Sunday, replaced Merrifield and would be the main beneficiary for increased work at second base if Merrifield misses time. |
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| Jun 17 2018 | Merrifield, who was lifted from Sunday's game in the second inning, is being diagnosed with a "left medial knee contusion," Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports. | Merrifield fouled a ball off his knee and appeared to be in noticeable discomfort, but the preliminary diagnosis of a bruise appears to be a good sign. Consider the second baseman day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener against the Rangers. |
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| Jun 6 2018 | Merrifield is starting in center field and hitting leadoff Wednesday against the Angels, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | With regular leadoff man Jon Jay being traded to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, manager Ned Yost will turn to Merrifield to takeover as the team's table setter. The 29-year-old is hitting a solid .286/.368/.419 with four homers and 14 stolen bases across 58 games this season. |
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| May 30 2018 | Merrifield will get the day off for Wednesday's series finale against Minnesota, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | Merrifield has put together a modest six-game hitting streak, in which he's batting .320 with five RBI. He'll make way for Ryan Goins, who's slated to bat eighth. |
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| May 24 2018 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBI in Kanas City's 8-2 victory over the Rangers on Thursday. | Merrifield had gone hitless in his last 11 at-bats coming into the game but he snapped out of it with this multi-hit, two RBI performance. He got off to a bit of a slow start to the season but his numbers through 48 games are strong, as he's now got a .286/.358/.418 slash line and he's also contributed 12 steals so far this year after he swiped 34 in his breakout campaign of last season. |
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| May 18 2018 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and three stolen bases to help the Royals to a 5-2 victory over the Yankees on Friday. | On the two-year anniversary of his callup to the big leagues, Merrifield showed why he's developed into one of the more dynamic offensive second basemen in the game as he wreaked havoc all day long against the Yankees. The three steals brought his total on the season up to 12 to move him up fourth in the majors and he was also able to bring his average up to an even .300 with the three-hit effort. So far, it's looking like last season's breakout campaign that saw him emerge as a five-category asset was not a fluke. |
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| May 15 2018 | Merrifield went 2-for-5 with three RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Rays. | Merrifield came through with a clutch two-run single in the seventh inning to knot the score at 5-5, but Kansas City wasn't able to push anymore across in the eventual 6-5 loss. The 29-year-old is sporting a nine-game hitting streak to boost his slash line on the year to .290/.357/.426 to go along with nine steals in 11 tries. |
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| May 6 2018 | Merrifield went went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases Sunday against the Tigers. | Merrifield nearly doubled his stolen base total in one game, as he now has seven for the season. All three of his stolen bases came against Matthew Boyd, including two that came on one plate appearance. His stolen base production will be key to his value going forward, as the poor Royals' lineup surrounding him will likely limit his other counting stats. |
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| May 5 2018 | Merrifield is out of the lineup against Detroit on Saturday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | Merrifield will receive a typical day off following nine straight starts while Ryan Goins draws the assignment at second base. Expect to see Merrifield back in the lineup for Sunday's series finale. |
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| Apr 26 2018 | Merrifield is not in the lineup Thursday against the White Sox, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | Merrifield is heating up at the plate, hitting safely in six of his last seven games and hitting three home runs in that span. He'll head to the bench for a night off Thursday however, allowing Ryan Goins to pick up a start at the keystone. |
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| Apr 22 2018 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a home run in Sunday's 8-5 victory over the Tigers. | After a quiet start to the season, Merrifield has hit three home runs over the last five games. In that time he's gathered five of his seven RBI for the year and scored four runs. Although he seems to be finding his power, Merrifield's .266 batting average has room to climb after hitting .288 in 2017. |
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| Apr 20 2018 | Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during a 3-2 win over the Tigers in the second game of Friday's doubleheader. | After going 3-for-5 in the opener, Merrifield came through with his second homer of the season in the nightcap -- both of which have come in the last three games. The 29-year-old is now slashing .271/.354/.400 on the year, and the surprising power he displayed in 2017 appears to be returning along with warmer weather. |
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| Apr 18 2018 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs and a pair of walks in Wednesday's loss to the Blue Jays. | Not much went right for the Royals on Wednesday, but Merrifield was a bit of a bright spot in reaching base three times and leaving the yard for the first time this year. Following a season in which he hit .288 with 19 home runs and 34 steals, owners certainly were hoping for more than what they've gotten so far out of the 29-year-old. He's struck out at least once in seven straight contests now -- and 10 of the last 11 -- so if he's able to put the ball in play more often or work more walks like he was able to Wednesday, the results may start to turn. |
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| Apr 14 2018 | Merrifield is starting in center field and hitting second Saturday against the Angels, 610 Sports Radio Kansas City reports. | He already has one start in right field, so it's possible he will gain outfield eligibility in some formats this season. Ryan Goins is starting at second base in this game, so if manager Ned Yost prefers this arrangement, it could become a regular setup. Given Merrifield's speed, he could be a more valuable defender in the outfield. He is hitting .255 (.308 BABIP) with zero home runs and one steal on two attempts in 52 plate appearances. |
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| Apr 8 2018 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 (.222) and had a strikeout in Sunday's loss to Cleveland. | After hitting 19 home runs and stealing 34 bases last season, Merrifield has yet to homer or swipe a bag in seven games to begin the year. The 29-year-old also only has one RBI to go along with his lackluster .222 average. However, as long as Merrifield keeps making solid contact at the plate -- only three strikeouts in 27 at-bats so far in 2018 -- those counting stats should eventually begin to build up when his .238 BABIP rises to the mean. |
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| Apr 2 2018 | Merrifield went 1-for-4 in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Tigers. | Although he's gone just 2-for-12 (.167) over the Royals' first three games, Merrifield has managed to score on two occasions. After hitting a respectable .288/.324/.460 over 145 games last season, Merrifield will see consistent time at second base as he tries to find his groove at the dish. |
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| Mar 11 2018 | Merrifield is 14-for-28 with two home runs and six RBI through 10 spring training games. | Merrifield had a solid 2017 season, slashing .288/.324/.460 along with recording 19 home runs and 78 RBI. He's been hot at the dish through the first weeks of spring training and will look to carry that momentum into the regular season. The future looks promising for the 29-year-old second baseman who looks to have plenty of fantasy value this year. |
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| Sep 30 2017 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks. | The long ball was Merrifield's 19th of the season, putting him just one shy of becoming the fourth second baseman in American League history to compile 20 home runs, 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases in a season. Even if Merrifield, who is also hitting .289 on the season, falls short of that achievement, he's still been a far greater fantasy contributor than his owners could have imagined coming out of spring training. Raul Mondesi scuffled early on as the team's everyday second baseman, allowing Merrifield to claim the starting gig and never look back on his way to becoming one of the top fantasy options at the position. |
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| Sep 26 2017 | Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Detroit. | Merrifield came around to score after leading off the fourth inning with a double and drove in the go-ahead run with a sac fly in the fifth. The leadoff man was also caught stealing after reaching on a fielder's choice in the seventh, falling to 33-for-39 in steal attempts for the season. He's now slashing .286/.324/.459. |
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| Sep 21 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a homer, two steals, two RBI and three runs against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. | Although this long ball ended an 18-game power outage for Merrifield, he stayed productive in that stretch, hitting .314 with six doubles, a triple and four steals, not to mention an 8:8 K:BB. The sophomore second baseman has been quite the coup for his lucky/wise fantasy owners, as his lofty totals of 18 home runs and 32 steals alongside a .290 average were not exactly in the preseason forecast. |
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| Sep 13 2017 | Despite going 0-for-2 Wednesday against the White Sox, Merrifield managed two walks and inched closer to the AL stolen base lead with his 29th swipe of the season. | Merrifield sits just two stolen bases shy of Astros' second baseman Jose Altuve, and three swipes shy of matching his own minor-league career high. The second baseman has put together an impressive campaign after not making the Opening Day roster, and Merrifield (17 homers) is within reach of a 20-30 campaign in just his second MLB season. |
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| Sep 6 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-6 with a trio of doubles, three RBI and a pair of runs in Wednesday's 13-2 drubbing of the Tigers. | Merrifield came in on a little five-game skid without an extra-base hit, but he made up for that in impressive fashion. The sophomore second baseman continues to post a well-rounded line for his fantasy owners, and he's certainly part of the reason why the Royals are not yet out of the AL wild-card race. |
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| Aug 30 2017 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a steal in Wednesday's loss to the Rays. | He pretty much was the Kansas City offense in this one, with his 17th homer providing all the team's runs. Add those long balls to Merrifield's 26 steals and .283 average, and you're looking at fantastic fantasy value from a guy who went undrafted in most leagues this year. He'd been cold lately, going 4-for-25 (.160) over a six-game stretch, albeit with a pair of homers, but Merrifield's few slumps haven't tended to linger. |
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| Aug 23 2017 | Merrifield went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI and a steal in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Rockies. | Merrifield stuffed the stat sheet without managing a single extra-base hit. The steal was his 24th, as the second baseman has provided a strong combination of speed and power at the top of Kansas City's order. This performance raised Merrifield's line to .288/.324/.462. |
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| Aug 13 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-6 with a triple, a homer and five RBI Sunday against the White Sox. | Merrifield finished a double shy of the cycle, driving in three runs with a third-inning homer before adding two more RBI on a triple in the sixth. This was the leadoff man's fourth multi-hit effort since August 6th, and he's flashed solid power with three long balls in that stretch. He's now slashing .296/.333/.486 and needs six more home runs and one stolen base for a 20-20 season. |
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| Aug 10 2017 | Merrifield cranked out four singles in five at-bats with a stolen base and two runs against the Cardinals on Wednesday. | The big effort improved his average to an even .300 on the season, and it's almost surprising that he wasn't at that lofty height already, considering that he seems to get a hit in just about every game. Indeed, since the start of July, Merrifield has gone hitless just five times in 35 games, and he's been contributing both pop and speed steadily, establishing himself as one of the league's most surprising breakout stars. With an impressively low 13.2 percent strikeout rate, it should be no problem for him to keep hitting for average. |
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| Jul 29 2017 | Merrifield recently accomplished something only six other players in MLB history have been able to do -- in his first 162 games, Merrifield had 175-plus hits, 80-plus runs, 40-plus doubles and 20-plus steals, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | Considering he began 2017 in the minor leagues, it's a safe to say Merrifield sat on waivers in many fantasy leagues on Opening Day. He's since transformed into a legitimate keeper option, even in leagues with limited keeper slots available. The 28-year-old should enter 2018 with eligibility at multiple positions (second base and outfield), making Merrifield an even more intriguing option to hang onto. |
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| Jul 26 2017 | Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Tigers. | The leadoff blast was Merrifield's fourth homer in the last six games and 11th of the year. The 28-year-old's been on fire since the All-Star break, slashing .347/.411/.714, and he's become one of the unsung heroes of the Royals' climb into playoff contention after their rough start to the season. |
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| Jul 23 2017 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the White Sox. | Merrifield hit the first of three consecutive Royals homers off Derek Holland in the bottom of the fourth inning, then added another solo shot off reliever Dan Jennings to tie the game 4-4 in the eighth. The 28-year-old second baseman has been a tremendous spark plug at the top of the order, having swiped 16 bags to go with 10 long balls this year. Four of those 10 home runs have come in the month of July after Merrifield failed to hit one in June. |
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| Jul 20 2017 | Merrifield went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Thursday's win over Detroit. | The second baseman offers a nice cross-category profile with eight homers, 35 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 37 runs and a .290/.330/.468 slash line. Individually, there aren't any high-end marks, but tilting the scales across multiple stat columns has Merrifield moving the fantasy needle in the the majority of settings. |
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| Jul 12 2017 | Merrifield hit .281 with a .768 OPS, seven home runs and 14 stolen bases through 70 first-half games. | Merrifield was passed over for an Opening Day roster spot, but it only a couple of weeks before he locked down the big-league gig for good. The sophomore has cut his strikeout rate by nearly eight percent from last year while positing an impressive .168 ISO. His 14 swipes are second in the AL only to Jose Altuve, but Merrifield's 93.3 percent success rate on the base paths is best among all MLB players with at least five steals. |
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| Jul 3 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, three stolen bases and a run scored during Sunday's win over Minnesota. | The second baseman is turning in a strong fantasy campaign with a .286/.323/.452 slash line, six home runs, 31 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 28 runs. Merrifield is tilting the scales across all categories, and Kansas City is 16-9 since he moved into the leadoff spot in early June. |
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| Jun 29 2017 | Merrifield is not in Thursday's lineup for the series finale against the Tigers, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports. | After starting the past eight games, Merrifield receives a standard day off for Thursday's matinee. Ramon Torres will man second base and bat leadoff in his stead. |
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| Jun 18 2017 | Merrifield is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. | Merrifield will take a seat after starting in the Royals' previous 21 games in what amounts to little more than a rest day. Ramon Torres will replace Merrifield at the keystone and assume his usual spot atop the lineup. |
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| Jun 14 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-6 with a stolen base and three runs during Wednesday's win in San Francisco. | A pair of singles and his seventh double of the season boosted Merrifield's average to .292 through 48 games. The second baseman has enjoyed the club's stay on the west coast, going 7-for-18 with five RBI and five runs over the past five games. He hasn't been particularly good hitting leadoff (averaging .185 through 81 at-bats), but Wednesday might just be what the doctor ordered to get Merrifield rolling in the top spot. |
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| Jun 5 2017 | Merrifield will start at second base and lead off Monday against the Astros, Julia Morales of Root Sports Southwest reports. | After extending his hitting streak to 19 games with a trio of singles Sunday against the Indians, Merrifield will be rewarded with a move up in the lineup. He'll jump from the sixth spot to the leadoff position, bumping Alcides Escobar down to the bottom third of the order. |
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| Jun 4 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-4, raising his average to .307, in Sunday's 8-0 loss to the Indians. | Merrifield is riding a 19-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season. Since May 13, the second baseman is 27-for-66 (.409) with three home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs and four stolen bases. After not making the Opening Day roster, Merrifield is now making a case to represent the Royals on the AL All-Star team. |
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| Jun 2 2017 | Merrifield is reaping the benefits of a strict diet that helped him put on 25 pounds of muscle and added bulk to his frame, SB Nation reports. | Merrifield went on an insane diet -- one that required multiple workouts and seven meals per day -- prior to the 2016 season. It's reasonable to assume the massive body transformation caused Merrifield to go through an adjustment period last year; however, it all seems to be coming together for the 28-year-old in 2017. He's hitting the ball harder than ever -- in fact, Merrifield's hard-hit contact rate is greater than Royals' sluggers Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. The second baseman's .484 slugging percentage and .190 ISO are far beyond his career numbers at any level. |
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| May 30 2017 | Merrifield went 3-for-4 with two RBI from a triple and solo home run in Monday's 10-7 loss to the Tigers. He also doubled and scored three runs overall. | Merrifield was a thorn in the side of Tigers pitching throughout the night and was responsible for the Royals' first two runs via his 401-foot solo shot in the third and RBI triple in the fourth. The 28-year-old now boasts a 14-game hitting streak, a stretch that's included six multi-hit efforts, three homers and six RBI. While Merrifield has actually seen a drop in hard contact from April's 41.9 percent to 31.5 percent in May, his line drive rate has nearly doubled (12.9 percent to 24.6 percent), which has helped his BABIP shoot up from last month's .207 to .338. |
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| May 11 2017 | Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs during Thursday's win over Tampa Bay. | It was just the third home run of the season for Merrifield, and the second baseman currently sports a .217/.276/.377 slash line for the campaign. He's playing regularly, and there is value in full-time at-bats in deep settings, but Merrifield will need to show more at the dish before he's a serviceable option in the majority of seasonal leagues. |
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