MLB Player News

It appears the possible sweepstakes for Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton could be adding another team. After reports surfaced earlier this week that the Mets were considering a run at the young slugger, the Rangers have explored a scenario of what the price tag would be for Stanton, according to ESPN.com.

Miami has not indicated it is actively seeking to deal its last remaining star, but the 23-year-old will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason. Stanton is hitting just .167 over nine games, but has walked eight times.

The Mets have not been able to find many starts for infielder Justin Turner this season, so they took advantage of the opportunity to slot him in as the designated hitter Saturday in Minnesota.

Turner batted eighth in the game and proved useful, going 3 for 4 with a double in a 4-2 win. Turner scored one run during a four-run fifth inning.

Turner is batting .467 with two extra-base hits and no RBI in 15 at-bats. He had started three hits, with all seven of his hits coming in those starts. 

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is considered day-to-day after being diagnosed with a left-shoulder contusion following an MRI Saturday, MLB.com reports. Stanton, who is hitting .167 through his first nine games, said he initially felt discomfort after making a diving catch against the Mets Friday.

As expected, Stanton was held out of the lineup for the second-straight game Saturday against Philadelphia as Austin Kearns took his spot in right field. 

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton missed Friday's game against the Phillies and has already been ruled out for Saturday due to a sore left shoulder. Stanton suffered the injury last Saturday against the Mets in New York.

“I wasn’t too sure if it was the weather or that dive. But it has been escalating,’’ he told the Palm Beach Post after Friday's game.

Stanton has been dealing with the soreness for a few days and said it got worse during warm-ups Friday. He is set to undergo an MRI Saturday that could reveal the extent of the injury. He might be forced to sit out Sunday's series finale as well. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen broke a 5-5 tie with a seventh-inning solo home run in his team's 6-5 win over the Reds Friday night. He also had a two-RBI single in the second inning to up his average to .265 with the 2-for-4 game.

The Marlins scratched outfielder Giancarlo Stanton from the lineup Friday against the Phillies less than an hour prior to first pitch, due to left shoulder soreness. He was replaced at right field by Austin Kearns. 

At this point, there is not much information about the extent of the injury, though the team will likely provide an update during the game. Stanton should be considered day to day at this point. Stanton is currently struggling to begin the season, batting just 5 for 30 through the first nine games, and a shoulder injury will likely not help matters. 

San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt extended his hitting streak to three games Friday during the Giants' 4-3 loss to the Cubs. Belt went 1 for 4 with a two-run double in the ninth inning that gave San Francisco a one-run lead that was ultimately short-lived.

The two RBI represents his first of the season as he had been limited by an illness that has plagued him since spring training. Belt has still amassed more strikeouts (nine) than hits and walks (seven) for a .167 batting average.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper registered his third consecutive multi-hit performance and walked twice -- his first free passes of the season -- during Washington's 7-4 victory over the White Sox on Thursday night. Harper finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored and drove in two runs to give him an RBI in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

The 20-year-old phenom has notched multiple hits in all but two of his nine games played to stake a .417 batting average -- the third-highest mark in the National League.

Cubs prospect Jorge Soler was suspended five games for a bat-wielding incident Wednesday, according to MLB.com. Soler is batting .435 (10 for 23) with two homers and four RBI in six games for Class A Daytona.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is not swinging at strikes often enough, letting them go more than half the time, the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted. That's a big problem for the slugger because he is seeing pitches in the strike zone at the lowest rate in the majors, according to FanGraphs.com.

Only 30 percent of the pitches Stanton sees are strikes, so he cannot afford to be passive at the plate. He is actually swinging at out-of-the-zone pitches more frequently, but barely at a higher rate than he did last year. Although Stanton can't force opposing pitchers to stop pitching around him, his reluctance to go after strikes is troubling.

We are still looking at small samples, which can produce extreme results. But if Stanton's low swing rate in the zone persists, it may be time to reevaluate him. If he reverses the trend, then it's time to buy low on Stanton.