Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (foot) is back at second base and is hitting ninth on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Landon Knack at Truist Park. Despite fracturing his left foot on Sept. 6 when he fouled a ball off of it, Merrifield has avoided the injured list and will return to Atlanta's lineup after missing the last five games. The 35-year-old veteran should see most of the starts at second base moving forward, barring a setback with his foot, as long as Ozzie Albies (wrist) remains on the IL. Even though Merrifield's playing time is on the rise with the Braves late in the year, he doesn't really move the fantasy needle outside of NL-only leagues. The three-time All-Star is hitting .243/.359/.342 with a homer, four doubles, two triples, three RBI and five steals in 34 games since joining the Braves midseason.

Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (foot) remains out of action for the team's contest on Tuesday against the division-rival Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Merrifield, who has dealt with some bad injury luck this year, will sit out for the fourth straight game after fracturing his foot recently when he fouled a ball off of it. The 35-year-old is hoping to make it back for the team's three-game series this weekend versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, but there's also a chance Merrifield lands on the injured list. With Ozzie Albies (wrist) still recovering from a fractured wrist, Atlanta is forced to roll with Luke Williams for another start at the keystone. Williams is hitting ninth against Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore and should be avoided as a sleeper in DFS lineups for Tuesday's slate of games.

Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (foot) was pulled from Friday's contest early at Truist Park against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays after fouling a ball off his left foot. Before being replaced at second base by Luke Williams, Merrifield was hitless in his two at-bats with a walk in the eventual 3-1 win. The 35-year-old veteran was returning on Friday for the first time after missing the team's previous two contests after being hit in the head by a pitch earlier this week. Merrifield has dealt with some unlucky injuries in his short tenure with the Braves, and it's unclear how serious his latest foot ailment is. Consider him day-to-day for now. He's been slightly better since joining the Braves recently but is really only relevant in very deep-mixed and NL-only leagues for his speed. In 265 total at-bats in 2024 with Atlanta and Philly, Merrifield has slashed a weak .219/.312/.317 with four home runs, 14 RBI and 16 steals.

Atlanta Braves utility man Whit Merrifield (head) is back in the starting lineup at second base and will bat in the two-hole on Friday at Truist Park against one of his former teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, and right-hander Kevin Gausman. Merrifield avoided a concussion when he was hit in the noggin by a pitch on Tuesday, but he sat out the team's last two games as a precaution. The 35-year-old veteran is now back in the fold in a favorably lineup spot but in a tough matchup against Gausman, although he has recorded a hit in both of his career at-bats against him. Merrifield has been much better in his 33 games for the Braves this year than he was earlier this season with the Phillies, as he's gone 27-for-109 (.248) with a homer, three RBI and five steals. He should continue to see decent playing time in Atlanta until Ozzie Albies (wrist) makes his return from the injured list.

Atlanta Braves second baseman Whit Merrifield was 5-for-5 in Monday's 10-6 win at the Minnesota Twins, scoring two runs out of the leadoff spot. Merrifield had four singles and a double and is now hitting .237/.331/.347 with four homers, 13 RBI, 38 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases in 19 attempts between the Philadelphia Phillies and Braves. Merrifield's versatility and speed make him a good option in deeper leagues if he's on the waiver wire. His value is strongest in NL-only leagues as Merrifield will continue to see at-bats for a Braves team hammered with injuries.

Atlanta Braves infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (finger) took a ball off a finger on his right hand before Monday's contest against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, but he avoided a fracture and is considered day-to-day. It comes on the same day that Merrifield signed a major-league deal with the Braves to help provide depth at second base with Ozzie Albies sidelined with a fractured wrist. When he gets past his finger issue, the 35-year-old veteran should bounce around as a utility player for Atlanta between second base and a corner-outfield spot. Once a must-start player in fantasy mainly for his speed, Merrifield is probably only an NL-only asset nowadays. Before being released by the Philadelphia Phillies this year, he was slashing a weak .199/.277/.295 with a career-low .572 OPS, three homers, 11 RBI and 11 swipes in 53 games played.

The Atlanta Braves will reportedly sign utility player Whit Merrifield. The veteran, who was recently released by the Philadelphia Phillies, will sign a major league deal with the Braves according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Merrifield hit .199 for the Phillies this year in 53 games, with three homers and 11 RBI to go with 11 stolen bases. The 35-year-old is expected to provide depth for the Braves with starting second baseman Ozzie Albies projected to be out for eight weeks with a left wrist fracture.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Friday that they released infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield and called up outfielder Weston Wilson from the minors to replace him on the active roster. Wilson is actually starting in left field and batting seventh on Friday against the Oakland Athletics with left-hander Hogan Harris on the mound. Merrifield, a three-time All-Star, will look for work elsewhere around the league now after slashing just .199/.277/.295 with a .572 OPS, three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 53 games for the Phillies. The 35-year-old former ninth-round pick in 2010 out of South Carolina was once a fantasy start back in his days with the Kansas City Royals because of his speed, but he's no longer an everyday player and has never had a 20-homer season in eight big-league campaigns. Merrifield should latch on with another team as a super-utility man.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Whit Merrifield went 1-for-4 on Saturday with his third home run of the season. Through 34 games this season, the 35-year-old holds a poor .174/.250/.294 line with six stolen bases. Merrifield has been in a strict utility role through the early part of the season and should be expected to continue to do so throughout the summer. In his past seven games, he has tallied only two hits and is on pace to have the worst season of his career. However, he is still holding an excellent 9.9% K rate. Merrifield is typically a strong batting average stabilizer and option for speed, but he has yet to settle in with his new club. Once he begins to raise his batting average, he could be worth a look in deeper leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies utility man Whit Merrifield is starting in left field and is batting eighth on Monday against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. Brandon Marsh is moving to center field, which pushes Johan Rojas to the bench. Merrifield wasn't in the team's Opening Day lineup last Thursday, but he's started each of the last three games with left-handers on the mound. The 35-year-old three-time All-Star is looking likely to play anytime the Phils face lefties and to help fill in when others need days off throughout the year. So far through his two games played, he's gone 1-for-7 with a walk in eight plate appearances. As long as Merrifield sticks near the bottom of the Phillies' batting order, he's not going to have a very high fantasy ceiling on a daily basis.

Philadelphia Phillies utility player Whit Merrifield will get the start in left field on Saturday opposite Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried. The veteran was said to get some playing time this weekend with the Braves facing lefties both Saturday and Sunday. With Johan Rojas winning the everyday center field job, Merrifield will be relegated to the short side of a platoon alongside Brandon Marsh in left field this season. The 35-year-old inked a one-year pact with the Phillies this winter after hitting .272 with 11 home runs and 26 steals across 145 appearances with the Blue Jays last season. He'll have his hands full against Fried who posted a 2.55 ERA across an injury-shortened 14 starts a season ago.

Philadelphia Phillies infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield was not in the starting lineup for the team's season opener on Friday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves, but with the Phillies facing lefties on Saturday and Sunday, Merrifield will likely be in the lineup, according to manager Rob Thomson. Merrifield told Thomson before signing in the offseason that, "I'll work myself into the lineup." The three-time All-Star hit .272/.318/.382 in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays with 11 home runs, 67 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 145 games in a bounce-back year. The short side of a platoon role in Philly hurts his overall upside for fantasy managers in deeper leagues, but Merrifield could be more efficient in 2024 if he's mostly facing lefties. He's a .289 career hitter in 526 games against southpaws.

Free-agent infielder Whit Merrifield agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, according to a source. The deal includes a club option for the 2025 season that will also be worth $8 million. Merrifield is now 35 and has been in decline since leaving the Kansas City Royals midway through the 2022 season, but he still managed to hit .272/.318/.382 with 11 home runs, 67 RBI, 26 stolen bases and 66 runs scored in 145 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. He's probably not going to have an everyday role in Philadelphia, but Merrifield should bounce around between second base and the outfield and can still provide some modest speed for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Merrifield has always made consistent contact despite being aggressive at the dish.

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield is moving closer to making a decision on where he will play next, according to a source, and he's expected to agree to terms with a team by the end of the weekend. Merrifield's market has picked up in recent days, with five teams showing varying levels of interest in him. The 35-year-old veteran became a free agent when both he and the Toronto Blue Jays declined his mutual option for 2024 worth $18 million. He lost playing time down the stretch in 2023 while posting a .700 OPS, 11 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 592 plate appearances. Merrifield's production began to fall off in 2022, and he's no longer as much of a threat for fantasy managers in the batting average and steals departments.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Thursday that second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield's $18 million mutual option for the 2024 season has been declined by both sides. Merrifield will now hit the open market this offseason, as expected. The Blue Jays definitely weren't going to pay Merrifield $18 million next year after he lost playing time down the stretch in the regular season. The 34-year-old utility man is useful for his multi-positional eligibility in fantasy and for his speed, but the three-time All-Star has never reached 20 homers in a single season and also isn't running as much as he was in his prime with the Kansas City Royals. Merrifield finished his first full year in Toronto in 2023 with a .272/.318/.382 slash line, 11 home runs, 27 doubles, 67 RBI, 26 stolen bases and 66 runs scored in 145 games played.

Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield (groin) is playing left field and batting fifth for the team on Wednesday against the visiting Texas Rangers and left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Merrifield is back in action for the Jays after missing the last two games with groin tightness. The 34-year-old veteran super utilityman has struggled at the plate of late, so fantasy managers may want to keep him benched until he snaps out of his slump. In nine games (eight starts) so far in September, he's gone 7-for-34 (.206) with a double, four RBI, five strikeouts, a stolen base and three runs scored. Against southpaws in 2023, Merrifield has gone 35-for-124 (.282) with three of his 11 home runs. Merrifield continues to be valuable in fantasy for his positional versatility and his speed (25 steals).

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI, one run scored, and a stolen base in Friday's 13-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The 34-year-old ended August on a low note, hitting just 8-for-54 in his previous 13 games, so this was a promising sight. Merrifield notably singled and stole second base during the second inning before doubling in a seventh-inning run. The three-time All-Star's 2022 post-trade deadline resurgence after joining the Jays has carried over into 2023, batting .290 (139-for-480) with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, 59 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Fantasy managers hope Merrifield works his way back up Toronto's lineup, and Friday's effort should only aid that cause.

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield drove in four runs in an 8-1 victory over the Dodgers Wednesday. Merrifield smacked a 400-foot home run in the fifth frame of Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin. He now has seven homers in 2023. The 34-year-old was also 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. After struggling last season, Merrifield has rebounded, hitting .299/.350/.413 with 46 RBI and 20 swiped bags.

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Cavan Biggio is getting the start at second base and Kevin Kiermaier is manning center field against Logan Gilbert and the M's in this one. Merrifield will likely come in as a pinch-hitter at some point on Saturday. The veteran 34-year-old is slashing .291/.344/.398 with six home runs, 42 RBI, and 20 stolen bases over 327 at-bats on the season.

On Thursday, Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield hit two solo home runs, helping the Blue Jays secure a narrow 5-4 victory over the White Sox. Despite only scoring five runs, the Blue Jays managed to make the most of their offensive opportunities with three home runs and 13 additional hits. Merrifield's impressive first half of the season has earned him a spot in the upcoming All-Star Game, marking his third appearance.