MLB Player News

Belt (knee) hit in a batting cage Monday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt hasn't played in 12 days due to right knee inflammation. He's already eligible to return from the injured list, but his return isn't imminent. He remains in San Francisco to continue his recovery while his teammates are away on a 10-game road trip. It's unclear if he'll need a rehab assignment before returning to the active roster.

McCutchen will get a breather in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Cubs.

The 35-year-old will be on the bench for the first time since returning from the COVID-19 injured list May 20, batting .231 with a homer, three RBI and four runs over nine contests. Keston Hiura is starting at designated hitter and will bat seventh in the first game Monday.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two walks Sunday against the Nationals.

Blackmon took Josiah Gray yard to lead off the game and record his seventh home run of the season. He later grounded into a fielder's choice to tally his second RBI of the campaign. Blackmon reached base multiple times in three of Colorado's four games against Washington, and he also drove in five and scored three runs during the series. Overall, Blackmon is hitting .241/.309/.426 across 182 plate appearances.

Soler went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and a walk in Sunday's 6-3 loss to Atlanta.

Soler provided all of the Marlins' offense Sunday, launching a solo homer in the first inning before adding a two-run shot in the seventh. He's hitting .253 with nine home runs and 19 RBI this month. On the year, the 30-year-old slugger is slashing .214/.309/.465 with 18 extra-base hits through 42 games.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 6-3 win over Miami.

Ozuna took Elieser Hernandez deep in both the first and third innings. The 31-year-old is slashing .228/.269/.418 with 10 homers through 197 plate appearances on the year. He was in a 6-for-28 (.214) slump with no extra-base hits over his previous eight games.

Turner is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Turner will take a seat after he went 7-for-21 with four doubles, a walk and four runs while starting in each of the Dodgers' last five games. Edwin Rios spells Turner at third base in the series finale.

Turner went 4-for-4 with two doubles in Saturday's 3-2 victory versus the Diamondbacks.

Turner had been cold coming into the contest, going 3-for-22 over his previous five games. The veteran turned things around with his second four-hit performance of the campaign, which included a pair of doubles. Turner raised his average 20 points to .224 with the effort, though his .666 OPS remains disappointing in comparison to his career body of work.

Blackmon went 5-for-10 with two RBI and a run scored across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Nationals.

Blackmon collected multiple hits in each game, and all five knocks were singles. He has hit .278 across his last 13 starts, also collecting two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored in that span. Overall, Blackmon has maintained a .239/.301/.409 line across 177 plate appearances on the campaign.

Ruf is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Ruf will be on the bench for the second time in three games and looks like he may have to settle for a part-time role even while Brandon Belt (knee) and LaMonte Wade (knee) are on the injured list. Wilmer Flores is expected to serve as the Giants' regular first baseman while Belt is on the shelf, while Joc Pederson and Luis Gonzalez should pick up starts in the corner outfield against right-handed pitching.

Hummel walked as a pinch hitter for catcher Jose Herrera and stayed in the game to catch the final inning of Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers.

This is the second time in three games that Hummel, an outfielder and designated hitter, has been used behind the plate -- both for one-inning stints. With Daulton Varsho nursing a sore shoulder, Hummel is the backup to Herrera.