4 days agoTexas Rangers second baseman
Marcus Semien (illness) was scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League lineup against the Cincinnati Reds due to "a little stomach virus," manager Bruce Bochy said.
Sam Haggerty is replacing Semien in the starting lineup at second base and will bat seventh. Semien is a bit under the weather but should be fine in a few days. The 34-year-old has gone just 6-for-32 (.188) with two homers, a triple, three RBI and five strikeouts in 12 Cactus League games to this point, but fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into it. Although Semien disappointed fantasy managers in 2024, his underling metrics really didn't waver, giving him plenty of bounce-back potential in a strong Rangers lineup. He's also been one of the most durable players in the game. Semien is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 6 fantasy second baseman.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
3 months agoTexas Rangers second baseman
Marcus Semien has been an iron man in his career. In his 12-year major-league career, he has played a full 162 games three times and played at least 155 games an additional five times. Semien played in 162 games in 2023 and 159 games last year. The last time he played fewer than 159 games in a full season was with the A's in 2017, when he played in 85 games due to a wrist injury. Semien is entering his age-34 season, though, and hit .237/.308/.391 in 2024, his worst offensive season since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Manager Bruce Bochy said the team has discussed giving Semien some built-in off days and also moving him around in the batting order. Semien's underlying metrics were on par with his recent seasons, so a bounce-back is entirely possible, especially if some more rest days give him more juice for the entire season.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Kennedi Landry
8 months agoTexas Rangers second baseman
Marcus Semien went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run on Saturday afternoon, powering the Rangers to a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Semien entered this game with a 22-game home run drought. In this span, the 33-year-old held a disappointing .143/.196/.176 slash line with just eight RBI, one stolen base, and a 6:13 BB:K ratio. Through 87 games this season, Semien has yet to find his stride as he sits with a .232/.296/.383 line with 12 home runs and three swiped bags. However, he does hold a .262 xBA, which suggests he could see some positive regression in the second half of the summer. Nonetheless, this prolonged slump does present an intriguing buy-low opportunity for the proven fantasy contributor.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 months agoTexas Rangers second baseman
Marcus Semien will start the Fourth of July game on Thursday against the visiting San Diego Padres on the bench. This will be Semien's second day off of the season as the Rangers give him a mental day to rest. The 33-year-old All-Star has been in a funk at the plate recently, going just 2-for-36 (.056) with no homers, one RBI, two walks and five strikeouts in his last eight games. The two-time All-Star is having a pretty disappointing 2024 campaign after hitting 29 bombs and driving in 100 runs for the second time in his career in 2023 to help the Rangers to their first-ever World Series championship. So far through 85 games this year, he's hitting .231 (81-for-351) with 11 homers and 45 RBI.
Jonathan Ornelas will start at the keystone on Thursday and will hit ninth for Texas against Padres right-hander
Michael King.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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