MLB Player News

Hummel's contract was selected by the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Hummel was traded from the Brewers to the Diamondbacks in late July, and he'll now be protected from the Rule 5 draft. He slashed .311/.432/.546 with 12 home runs, 70 runs, 52 RBI and four stolen bases at the Triple-A level in 2021, and he'll likely be in the mix to make his big-league debut next year.

Harper was named the 2021 National League MVP on Thursday, Baseball Writers' Association of America reports.

Harper won the honors for the first time since 2015, and he becomes the fifth player in MLB history to be named MVP with multiple franchises, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. The 29-year-old received 17 of 30 first-place votes after he slashed .309/.429/.615 with 35 homers, 101 runs, 84 RBI and 13 stolen bases across 141 games in 2021.

Belt (thumb) accepted his one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer Wednesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Belt spent the first 11 seasons of his career in San Francisco, and he'll remain with the Giants for at least one more year after accepting his qualifying offer. The 33-year-old missed time with various injuries in 2021, but it's unlikely that the fractured left thumb he suffered late in the season will affect his availability this spring. Belt appeared in 97 games last season and slashed .274/.378/.597 with 29 homers, 65 runs, 59 RBI and three stolen bases.

Blackmon exercised his $22 million player option for 2022 on Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Blackmon's production decreased in 2021, as he slashed .270/.351/.411 with 13 home runs, 78 RBI, 76 runs and three stolen bases across 150 games. However, the 35-year-old should maintain a starting role with a prominent spot in the lineup as he prepares for his 12th season in Colorado.

Soler went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, two runs, a walk and a strikeout in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Astros in Game 6 of the World Series.

Soler put Atlanta on the board in the top of the third inning Tuesday with a mammoth home run to left field, and the team clinched its first World Series title since 1995. The 29-year-old's performance against Houston earned him World Series MVP honors, as he hit .300 with three home runs, a double, six RBI and four runs across the last six games.

Soler hit a go-ahead pinch-hit homer in Game 4 of the World Series against the Astros.

Dansby Swanson tied the game at two with a one-out solo shot off Cristian Javier in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jorge Soler came off the bench to hit for Tyler Matzek one batter later and launched a solo homer of his own just past Yordan Alvarez and the left-field fence, giving Atlanta the lead. He's now hitting .240/.345/.600 with a pair of homers in nine games this postseason.

Soler is not in the lineup for Game 4 of the World Series against the Astros on Saturday.

Soler was in the lineup for the first three games, twice at designated hitter and then Friday in right field for Game 3, the first of the series at Truist Park in Atlanta. He will be replaced in right by Joc Pederson on Saturday, but expect Soler to be back in the field again for Game 5 with lefty Framber Valdez slated to start for the Astros. Soler can return to DH if and when the series returns to Houston.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the World Series versus the Astros on Friday.

The 29-year-old started the first two games of the series in right field with Jorge Soler serving as the designated hitter, and Soler will take over in right now that Atlanta is back home. Pederson is 1-for-8 with three strikeouts against Houston so far but otherwise has a .909 OPS with three homers and nine RBI in the playoffs this year.

Soler went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two strikeouts in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Astros in Game 1 of the World Series.

Soler had come off the bench in each of the final two games of the NLCS against the Dodgers, but he served as the designated hitter and hit at the top of the order to begin the World Series. The 29-year-old hit a homer to lead off the game, his first home run of the postseason. He's a strong candidate to continue serving as the designated hitter at Minute Maid Park, but he'll likely have to share playing time in Atlanta's crowded outfield once the team returns to Truist Park.

Soler isn't starting Game 6 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Saturday.

Soler appeared off the bench in Thursday's Game 5 loss and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout. Joc Pederson will start in right field and bat sixth.