MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Monday's 10-4 loss to the Mets.

The 32-year-old outfielder got the better of David Peterson on Monday, blasting two solo shots off the Mets' starter. Ozuna's first homer marked an historic achievement for Atlanta, as it now boasts five players with 25-plus home runs for the first time in franchise history. The slugger has now hit safely in 17 of his last 18 contests, posting a .348/.419/.621 slash line with four homers, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored during that stretch.

Pederson went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in Monday's loss against the Phillies.

Pederson put the Giants in front early with a homer off Aaron Nola in the opening inning. It's Pederson's 12th homer of the year and his first since July 28 -- he'd gone just 11-for-59 (.186) with a .450 OPS in 19 games over that span. Overall, the 31-year-old Pederson is slashing .238/.351/.423 across 316 plate appearances with 45 runs scored and 41 RBI this season while serving as San Francisco's primary DH against right-handed pitching.

Harper went 2-for-5 with a home run in Monday's win over San Francisco.

Harper tied the game 1-1 in the first inning with an RBI single before legging out an inside-the-park home run in the fifth. He's now 8-for-19 (.421) with three homers over his last five games. Overall, Harper's slash line is up to .293/.385/.449 with 10 homers, 57 runs scored, 42 RBI and seven steals through 397 plate appearances this season.

Lewis was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Monday.

Lewis was called up last week and did have a multi-hit game, but he also posted a .325 OPS over 19 plate appearances, so the Diamondbacks decided to remove him from the roster to open up a spot for the returning Evan Longoria.

Morel is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers.

Nick Madrigal will enter the lineup at third base and serve as the de facto replacement for Morel, who had served as the Cubs' designated hitter for each of the past 13 games. Morel went just 2-for-23 with eight strikeouts in the last six of those contests, however, so manager David Ross may just be giving the 24-year-old a mental break Monday.

Baker is absent from the lineup for Monday's game in Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Midwest reports.

Baker has started just four of nine games since his recall and has now not been in the lineup three times in five contests versus southpaws over that time. The minor league's home run leader this season with 33 dingers, Baker has struggled during his few chances in the majors and the Cardinals don't seem terribly interested in giving him a longer look.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a triple and an additional run scored in Sunday's 10-5 loss to the White Sox.

Blackmon has gone 9-for-20 (.450) with two homers and two triples over six games since he returned from a two-month absence with a hand injury. Both of his homers in that span have come in the last two games. The veteran is up to a .281/.367/.468 slash line with seven long balls, 31 RBI, 42 runs scored, 14 doubles and four triples through 62 contests this season. He's been atop the lineup in all five games he's started since his return, bumping Ezequiel Tovar to the No. 2 spot in the order.

Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Saturday's 13-2 win over the Cardinals.

The fifth-inning home run was Vogelbach's third in seven games and brings his total to 10 on the season. Though Vogelbach isn't provided the sort of power the Mets need out of the designated-hitter spot, he should be locked into a regular role versus right-handed pitching nonetheless in the aftermath of the team moving Tommy Pham and Mark Canha at the trade deadline. He'll serve as the Mets' DH and bat fifth in Sunday's series finale.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.

The Giants will roll out a right-handed-heavy lineup to counter Atlanta southpaw Max Fried, leaving no room in the starting nine for Pederson. Triple-A Sacramento call-up Luis Matos will serve as the Giants' starting left fielder while Pederson heads to the bench.

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays.

One night after his first career walk-off homer, Encarnacion-Strand notched the first steal of his young career, serving as the trail runner in a ninth-inning double steal. Considering he stole just two bases in 67 minor-league games this year, it's unlikely that the 23-year-old will have the green light on the basepaths. Encarnacion-Strand has now hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, boasting a .278/.366/.528 slash line with three homers, six RBI, four runs scored and a steal across 41 plate appearances during that stretch. However, the rookie's 36.6 percent strikeout rate during that same time frame certainly causes some concern.