MLB Player News

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper returned to action after a two-game absence on Monday in San Francisco. The Nationals have Harper batting third and starting in right field. 

Harper was dealing with a bruised left knee. He enters the game Monday batting .171 (6 for 35) with two home runs and four RBI in 12 May contests.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen told The Pittsburgh Tribune that he injured his knee sliding into home a few days ago.

McCutchen, who missed Sunday's game against the Astros, has no structural damage on his knee. He is hitting .281 with six homers and is listed as day-to-day.

"I just felt a little uncomfortable, and wanted to make sure everything was OK," McCutchen told MLB.com.

Rookie outfielder Marcell Ozuna hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the sixth inning for the Marlins, which turned out to be the game-winning hit in a 2-1 victory Sunday against the Diamondbacks. Ozuna has managed two multi-RBI game through 18 appearances, which account for five of his eight RBI.

Ozuna has hit safely in five straight games, but he's batting just .278 (5 for 18) with one triple and three RBI in that span.

"That kid, the pressure of any situation doesn’t bother him," manager Mike Redmond said, per the Sun-Sentinel. "He’s learned so much up here. Early in the game he was really aggressive, swinging early in the count. [Hitting coach] Tino [Martinez] and myself talked to him about trying to work counts and get a little bit deeper into counts and try and get a little bit better pitch to hit. That was a great at-bat. He got a good pitch up in the zone and made him pay."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper missed a second-straight game Sunday against the Padres because of a bruised left knee. Harper is batting .171 (6 for 35) with two home runs and four RBI in 12 May games.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been scratched from Sunday's lineup with knee pain, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The cause and extent of the injury are both unclear. McCutchen played the entirety of Pittsburgh's 11-inning loss to Houston on Saturday and has played in 42 of 43 games this season.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter knocked in two runs in a loss Saturday against Milwaukee.

Both RBI came on his only hit in four at-bats, a sixth-inning single. He also walked and is hitting .303/.386/.452.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was held out of Saturday's lineup against the Padres with a bruised left knee, according to The Washington Times.

Harper told reporters he is sore from his recent collision with the outfield wall. MRI results on his abdomen came back clean. Harper could be held out as a precaution Sunday in order to return at full strength Monday at San Francisco. He is hitting .171 with two home runs and four RBI in 12 May games.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Padres.

He was given the day off against left-hander Eric Stults. He is a career .226 hitter with seven homers and 26 RBI against lefties. He is hitting .171 with two home runs and four RBI in 12 May games.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, could begin jogging next week, according to manager Mike Redmond.

Stanton has been limited to aquatic workouts since the injury. He has been sidelined with a strained hamstring since April 29. He hit .227 with three homers and nine RBI before the injury. The team has not issued a timetable for his return.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen strung together his second straight multi-hit game Friday, as he raised his batting average 16 points in two days.

McCutchen went 3 for 5 with a double and a solo home run, in addition to scoring twice in a 5-4 win. He is batting .276 for the season after falling to .260 after a 0-for-3 game Wednesday.