Batten received some run at third base down the stretch with Manny Machado playing through an elbow injury and had a .713 OPS in 43 games for the campaign. However, Batten struggled to a .218/.320/.264 slash line in 101 plate appearances during the final month of the season. The All-Star third baseman underwent offseason surgery to address the injury and could be limited to serving as the designated hitter early in 2024, which would open playing time at the hot corner. Batten would be in the mix to get at least some of those reps, and he has some power and speed potential with 12 homers and 27 steals in 86 games at Triple-A last year. Read Past Outlooks