Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Launches first spring homer
Rotowire
Biggio went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's split-squad game against Atlanta.
Getting the start at second base and hitting second, Biggio turned on an inside pitch from Spencer Strider in the third inning and drove it over the wall in right field. Biggio has gone 8-for-22 with a homer and a steal through eight Grapefruit League appearances, and the 27-year-old could see consistent playing time in a utility role this season for the Blue Jays. With a .213/.320/.353 slash line over the last two seasons, however, his primary fantasy value could lie in his position flex rather than his performance at the plate.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Should see more work in outfield
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Biggio will split his playing time roughly equally between the infield and outfield this season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Per manager John Schneider on Wednesday, Biggio will play "a ton" in the outfield in 2023, and the 27-year-old justified that confidence during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers when he made a dazzling sliding catch in right field, then doubled off a runner at first base. The Blue Jays have a lot of moving parts in the outfield, and while Biggio has mostly played right in the majors, he does have some experience in left and center as well. After managing only a .202/.318/.350 slash line over 97 games last season, however, he'll need to turn things around at the plate for any extra playing time to translate into real fantasy value.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Avoids arbitration with Toronto
Rotowire
Biggio signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Biggio has been a disappointment at the plate two years running with back-to-back sub-.700 OPS seasons. His versatility is appealing, though, and he looks to be in line for a super-utility role again in 2023.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Not starting Friday
Rotowire
Biggio isn't in the lineup Friday against the Rays.
Biggio should see an uptick in playing time while Santiago Espinal (oblique) is on the injured list. However, Biggio has started against just six left-handed pitchers this year and will head to the bench with southpaw Jeffrey Springs on the mound for Tampa Bay on Friday. Whit Merrifield is starting at the keystone and batting eighth.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Resting Saturday
Rotowire
Biggio isn't starting Saturday against Tampa Bay.
Although the Blue Jays are facing a right-hander (Drew Rasmussen) during Saturday's matchup, Biggio will retreat to the bench once again. Whit Merrifield is starting at second base and appears to be the preferred option at the keystone while Santiago Espinal (oblique) is sidelined.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Back on bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Biggio is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
He'll retreat to the bench after starting each of the past four games at either second base or first base while going 3-for-10 with a pair of home runs and two walks. Vladimir Guerrero should see the overwhelming majority of starts at first base moving forward, but Biggio should be part of what looks to be a rotation at second base that also includes Santiago Espinal and Whit Merrifield.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Fills in for banged-up Espinal
Rotowire
Biggio will start at second base and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.
The utility man will make his third start in four games, this time filling in at the keystone for Santiago Espinal (hand) after making his previous two starts at first base. Espinal is considered day-to-day with the hand injury, so if he's available to return at some point during the Blue Jays' upcoming series with the Orioles that begins Monday, Biggio will likely see his playing time take a hit.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Sits after four straight starts
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Biggio is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
After starting each of the last four games -- two at first base and two at second base -- Biggio will head to the bench as the Blue Jays go with Vladimir Guerrero and Santiago Espinal at those respective positions. Biggio has gotten off to a nice start to August with an .816 OPS through six contests, and he could be able to maintain a part-time role for the Blue Jays until George Springer's (elbow) return from the injured list pushes Whit Merrifield to the infield on a more frequent basis.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Swats third homer
Rotowire
Biggio went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Orioles.
Getting the start at second base and batting ninth, the 27-year-old launched his first homer since late June and only his third of the season in 198 plate appearances. Biggio is getting more consistent playing time while George Springer (elbow) is on the shelf and Whit Merrifield is needed in center field, and he's responded by going 4-for-13 (.308) with a double and a home run over the last five games.
Biggio is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.
Biggio's streak of four consecutive starts will come to an end while the Blue Jays roll out a lineup consisting of their preferred option at each position in the series opener with Detroit. Due to his defensive versatility along with the team's inclination to periodically dole out rest days to lineup regulars, Biggio should still pick up a handful of starts per week even while Toronto is at full strength.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Picks up fourth straight start
Rotowire
Biggio will start at second base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.
Biggio will be filling in for a resting Santiago Espinal in what marks the former's fourth consecutive start. The 27-year-old will carry a five-game hitting streak into Wednesday's contest, but Biggio is unlikely to handle anything more than a part-time role moving forward while all of Toronto's key regulars are healthy.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Two RBI in win
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Biggio went 1-for-4 with a two-RBI single, a run scored and a steal in Sunday's victory over Boston.
Biggio sent Vladimir Guerrero and George Springer home on a first-inning single, then scored on a Raimel Tapia triple later that inning. Biggio also swiped second base off Brayan Bello for his second steal of the year. The second baseman has a lackluster .229 batting average, but has shown some signs of improvement as he extended his hit streak to four games.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Playing time likely to trend down
Rotowire
Biggio is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.
With catcher Danny Jansen (finger) returning from the 10-day injured list and starting behind the plate Tuesday, Alejandro Kirk is likely to begin seeing more starts out of the designated-hitter spot. As a result, Biggio and Raimel Tapia are likely to see their opportunities decrease moving forward, since the Blue Jays had previously been able to open up spots in the lineup for the two while rotating a number of different players at DH. Biggio had started in nine of the Jays' previous 11 games in July, while Tapia picked up seven starts over that stretch.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Making fourth consecutive start
Rotowire
Biggio will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Rays.
Biggio started both ends of Saturday's doubleheader and is now set to make his fourth consecutive start for the Blue Jays. Three of those four starts have come at second base, as Biggio picks up extra work while Santiago Espinal shifts elsewhere on the infield to give the likes of Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman a breather. Biggio is slashing .294/.442/.544 with a pair of homers since the beginning of June.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: On bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Biggio is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.
Biggio went 3-for-11 with a home run, a double, three walks, two runs and two RBI while starting in each of the past four games, but he'll cede his spot in the lineup to Raimel Tapia on Tuesday. Until catcher Danny Jansen (finger) returns from the 10-day injured list, Biggio looks like he'll have an edge on Tapia and Gabriel Moreno for the final opening in Toronto's everyday lineup.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Receives fourth straight start
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Biggio will start in left field and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Red Sox.
Even after George Springer put an end to a three-game absence in Sunday's loss to the Brewers, Biggio has still been able to maintain a spot in the Toronto lineup. He'll stick in the starting nine for the fourth game in a row, this time playing the outfield while Lourdes Gurriel serves as Toronto's designated hitter. With Alejandro Kirk receiving more work behind the plate since top backstop Danny Jansen (finger) landed on the injured list earlier this month, Biggio looks to be manager Charlie Montoyo's preferred option to fill the opening in the everyday lineup, at least versus right-handed pitching. Biggio has helped his cause by producing a .935 OPS through 18 games in June.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Goes deep Friday
Rotowire
Biggio went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and two total runs scored in Friday's 9-4 win over the Brewers.
Biggio padded the Blue Jays' lead with his seventh-inning solo shot. While he's struggled to produce at the plate, there's been signs of life lately for the infielder, as he's gone 5-for-7 across his last three games with both of his homers on the year in that span. He's lifted his slash line to .220/.373/.390 with 10 RBI, 14 runs scored and a stolen base through 103 plate appearances, though he'll have to sustain this small hot streak to regain a regular role in the lineup.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Belts first homer
Rotowire
Biggio went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in Monday's loss to the White Sox.
Biggio accounted for two of Toronto's five extra-base hits in the contest, belting a double to right field in the seventh inning and swatting a two-run homer in the ninth that brought the Blue Jays to within a run. He had been struggling coming into the contest, going 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts over his previous four games. Biggio has yet to get going at the plate on the campaign, slashing .190/.333/.329 with one homer, eight RBI, 11 runs, a stolen base and a 30.2 percent strikeout over 96 plate appearances.
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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Retreats to bench
Rotowire
Biggio is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.
Biggio will head to the bench after going hitless in 10 at-bats while starting each of the past three contests. Until the Blue Jays bring Danny Jansen (finger) back from the 10-day injured list, Biggio, Gabriel Moreno and Raimel Tapia look like they'll have to battle for one spot in Toronto's everyday lineup.
