MLB Player News

Choi will sit Wednesday versus the Red Sox.

Choi will get a breather after he started the first two games of the series in Boston, going 1-for-7 with a run scored and two strikeouts in those contests. Andrew McCutchen will take over as the designated hitter while Jack Suwinski starts in right field and bats sixth in the series finale.

Harper (elbow) took batting practice on the field before Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It's a positive step for Harper as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery he underwent in November. Matt Gelb of The Athletic cautions that Harper still has several hurdles to clear before being deemed ready for game action, as he has yet to be cleared to slide into bases since doctors believe there's still some risk of him rupturing the surgically-repaired elbow. Harper could be back from the 10-day injured list as soon as the latter part of May, as the Phillies' decision not to put him on the 60-day IL to begin the season had already implied.

Blackmon isn't in the Rockies' lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

After going 7-for-20 from the plate with a home run and three RBI over his first five games, Blackmon will get a day off to rest. Elehuris Montero will fill in as the Rockies' DH, allowing Alan Trejo to get reps in the hot corner and bat eighth.

Ozuna is absent from Atlanta's starting lineup Tuesday against the Cardinals.

Kevin Pillar is in left field and batting ninth versus the Cardinals and left-hander Steven Matz, with Travis d'Arnaud handling DH duties and hitting cleanup. Ozuna slugged a solo homer Saturday against the Nationals, but it's his only hit through 16 plate appearances this season.

Carpenter is starting at first base and batting sixth for the Padres in Tuesday's game versus the Diamondbacks.

Manager Bob Melvin has stuck to a true platoon with Carpenter and Nelson Cruz to this point, giving Carpenter four starts against righties and Cruz two starts versus lefties. This is Carpenter's first start at first base, as Jake Cronenworth will slide to second, Ha-Seong Kim will play third and Manny Machado will be the designated hitter.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 12-3 win over the White Sox.

Pederson hit the first of the Giants' seven homers on the day. He's gone just 3-for-14 across his first four games this season, but two of those hits have left the yard. He had 23 homers in 134 games last season, so a strong display of power from Pederson shouldn't be too surprising. He appears to be the Giants' preferred cleanup hitter against right-handed pitchers.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox.

McCutchen will get a breather for the first time in the young 2023 campaign after he started all three games of the Pirates' season-opening series versus the Reds, going a collective 2-for-8 with a double, five walks, a run and an RBI. Ji Man Choi will spell him Monday as the Pirates' designated hitter.

Manager Rob Thomson said during Sunday's ESPN broadcast that Harper (elbow) could resume hitting on the field as early as Thursday, John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Harper has spent the last few months recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in November, but he's trended in the right direction over the last several weeks. If Harper feels good after hitting on the field, he'll eventually progress to live at-bats before potentially embarking on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 31-year-old still has some steps to clear before he's in the mix to make his season debut for the Phillies, but Thomson said Harper has been doing "really well" in his recovery.

Carpenter is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.

With a southpaw (Austin Gomber) on the bump for Colorado, the lefty-hitting Matt Carpenter will cede his spot in the starting nine to the righty-hitting Nelson Cruz. The two veterans are expected to form a platoon at designated hitter for the foreseeable future unless one separates himself from the other from a performance standpoint.

Torrens is the designated hitter and batting eighth for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Torrens has shown a propensity for hitting southpaws better than righties throughout his career, and he could see regular playing time against left-handed pitching if he gets off to a strong start to begin 2023. It's his first time in the starting lineup as a member of the Cubs.