WHIT MERRIFIELD NEWS

Perez has 4 hits, Royals beat AL Central champion Guardians

Salvador Perez had four hits and drove in a pair of runs and Kris Bubic struck out a season-high eight to help the Kansas City Royals beat the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardia...

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Whit Merrifield's sacrifice fly | 09/30/2022 Whit Merrifield drives in Raimel Tapia with a sacrifice fly to right-center field, increasing the Blue Jays' lead to 2-0 in the 2nd inning

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • MLB.COM

Red Sox put RHP Ort on restricted list, recall Duran

The Boston Red Sox put right-handed pitcher Kaleb Ort on the restricted list and recalled outfielder Jarren Duran from Triple-A Worcester

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Reclaims full-time role Merrifield will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Yankees.

Impact 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.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Slugs in important win Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored in Saturday's win over Tampa Bay.

Impact 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.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Whit Merrifield's three-run homer | 09/24/2022 Whit Merrifield cranks a three-run home run to left field to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead in the top of the 7th inning

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 • MLB.COM

Whit Merrifield's diving stop | 09/23/2022 Whit Merrifield makes a diving stop and fires to first, retiring Manuel Margot for the first out of the bottom of the 4th inning

SEPTEMBER 24, 2022 • MLB.COM

Goes yard twice Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two homers, three RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's loss against the Rays.

Impact After Teoscar Hernandez led off the second inning with a home run, Merrifield came up two batters later and crushed a solo shot of his own to tie the game up 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 at 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.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Merrifield's two-run jack (9)  | 09/22/2022 Whit Merrifield smashes a drive to deep center field for a two-run home run, his second of the night makes it a 10-5 ballgame

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 • MLB.COM

Whit Merrifield's two-homer night | 09/22/2022 Whit Merrifield smashed two home runs, one in the 2nd and one in the 9th, and collected three RBIs against the Rays

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 • MLB.COM

Whit Merrifield's solo homer (8) | 09/22/2022 Whit Merrifield smashes a drive to left field for a solo home run, his eighth of the year, tying the game at 3-3 in the 2nd inning

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 • MLB.COM

Whit Merrifield's go-ahead double | 09/13/2022 Whit Merrifield rips a double down the left-field line to plate two and give Toronto a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 7th

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 • MLB.COM

Whit Merrifield's RBI single | 09/04/2022 Whit Merrifield gets the Blue Jays on the scoreboard with an RBI base hit in the top of the 2nd inning against the Pirates

SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 • MLB.COM

Cubs put Sampson, Steele on restricted list, add Little

The Chicago Cubs have put right-hander Adrian Sampson and left-hander Justin Steele on the restricted list before their game at Toronto

AUGUST 29, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hits first homer with new team Merrifield went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks during Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees.

Impact 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 runs, 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.

AUGUST 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Whit Merrifield's pinball homer (7) | 08/21/2022 Whit Merrifield's deep fly ball bounces off the top of the wall twice before falling into the bullpen for a home run in the 3rd

AUGUST 21, 2022 • MLB.COM

Cole, Yanks miffed with Jays' Manoah, 10th win in 30 games

Andrew Benintendi hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees got a win they desperately needed, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 to avoid a fo...

AUGUST 21, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Luis Patiño strong in return, Rays beat Royals 7-1

Luis Patiño pitched strongly into the sixth inning, Yandy Díaz drove in three runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1

AUGUST 19, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Remains out of lineup Merrifield isn't starting Wednesday against the Orioles.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

On bench Tuesday Merrifield isn't in the lineup Tuesday against Baltimore.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 16, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Not starting Saturday Merrifield isn't starting Saturday against the Guardians.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 13, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Sits Wednesday Merrifield is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 10, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Heads to bench Sunday Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 7, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Logs first steal with new team Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Twins.

Impact 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.

AUGUST 7, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Whit Merrifield Gets COVID Jab Following Trade To Blue Jays Whit Merrifield said he would consider getting the jab if he were on a contender. After getting traded to a Canadian team, he had no choice.

AUGUST 5, 2022 • OUTKICK.COM