MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper homered Wednesday against the Giants for the first time since missing time with a bruised left knee.

Harper went the other way with a solo home run in the sixth inning to open the scoring. He added a double in the 10th and came around to score the winning run in a 2-1 game.

Harper went 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. He struck out once. He's hitting .288 with 12 home runs, 23 RBI and a .994 on-base plus slugging percentage. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was unable to start Wednesday against the Nationals with tightness in his back, but he appeared as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. He made the final  out of the inning and finished the game at first base.

The Giants are off Thursday, so Belt could be back in the lineup Friday against the Rockies. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is out of Wednesday's lineup with back tightness, CSN San Francisco reports. 

Belt's injury is at a point where he could play if needed, but with the Giants facing a lefty in Gio Gonzalez, manager Bruce Bochy is taking the opportunity to let the back heal up. Brett Pill will get the start in Belt's place

The Dodgers have discussed calling up prospect Joc Pederson, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Pederson, a left-handed outfielder, is hitting .327/.400/.554 in Double-A. However, the Dodgers' personnel issues aren't in the outfield. Matt Kemp is struggling but not the type of player the Dodgers will nor should give up on. Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford are both having above-average seasons at the plate. As such, it's difficult to imagine these discussions going anywhere at this point, unless the Dodgers have a major injury or two in the outfield.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was back on the field Tuesday against the Cubs, after missing the team's previous game with a right knee injury.

McCutchen went 0 for 4 in the game, snapping a streak of three multi-hit games. He accrued no other stats in a 5-4 win. He is batting .274 with a .798 on-base plus slugging percentage in 164 at-bats. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt has continued to sit against occasional lefties, holding back his point total in Head-to-Head leagues, but if he keeps hitting like he has over his last 26 games, producing a .321 (25 for 78) batting average, six home runs, 10 walks and a 1.020 OPS, he'll entrench himself as an everyday player once and for all.

And Fantasy stardom may follow.

Is it really so far-fetched? We've been waiting for this guy to step up his power production for a couple of years now. In that 26-game stretch, he has nearly as many home runs as he hit in 145 games last year. And that's after ranking among the league leaders in home runs this spring. If that's not stepping it up, I don't know what is.

Not that I think Belt is going to hit 30 home runs or compete for NL MVP. But if you're still messing around with Todd Frazier or Paul Konerko at DH, it's time to upgrade.

The Phillies' struggles offensively have been well-documented and Ruben Amaro Jr. told The Philadelphia Inquirer Tuesday he's looked into ways to improve the lineup. However, he said he doesn't feel Darin Ruf, who was competing for a starting job in the outfield, is the solution to bolster a struggling lineup.

"(Darin) Ruf has done well, although he’s coming off a little bit of a slump lately," Amaro said. "Ruf has done OK, but he still needs work in the outfield. While he’s done OK offensively, I’m not sure he’s better than the options we have."

Although, Amaro said Ruf is probably the top option at first base in case something long-term happens to Ryan Howard, who is battling a knee injury.

"I would think so. He’s played first base about twice a week, so we know he can do that," Amaro said.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen made it back into the starting lineup Tuesday against the Cubs after sitting out one game with a knee injury. McCutchen is batting .368 (25 for 68) with a .603 slugging percentage in his last 17 games.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt matched a career high with four hits Monday during an 8-0 win over the Nationals. Belt also hit his sixth home run of the season.

He went 4 for 5 with four runs scored. Belt singled three times and added a solo blast in the fifth off Craig Stammen. The four-hit game gives Belt a .261 average. He had four hits total in his previous five games combined.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was back in action after missing two games due to a bruised left knee. Harper went hitless in the loss to the Giants. 

The 20-year-old went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in his first game since May 17. He's batting .288 on the year with 11 homers and 22 RBI. He's also struck out 26 times.