MLB Player News

The Mets didn't activate Canha (illness) from the COVID-19 injured list prior to the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Giants, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Both Canha and Brandon Nimmo were placed on the COVID-19 IL on Friday, and Nimmo will be the first of the two to rejoin the 28-man active roster after clearing the final stages of MLB's testing protocols earlier Tuesday. Canha could theoretically clear the protocols within the next few hours to make himself available for the second game of the twin bill, but the Mets would likely wait until Wednesday to activate him in that scenario.

Ruf is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Mets, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

He'll find himself for the first time all season after generating a weak .176/.317/.235 slash line through the Giants' initial 10 games. Despite the poor start to the campaign, Ruf still looks to be locked into a near-everyday role for the Giants versus both right- and left-handed pitching while Tommy La Stella (Achilles) and LaMonte Wade (knee) remain on the injured list.

Blackmon went 1-for-2 with a solo homer, a walk and two runs scored in Monday's 4-1 win over the Phillies.

Blackmon broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with a solo shot off Aaron Nola, his first home run of the year. He later scored in the seventh on a Randal Grichuk double. The veteran lefty is now slashing .212/.297/.364 with four RBI through 38 plate appearances.

Harper, who is batting second as the designated hitter Monday in Colorado, is nursing a sore right elbow and will serve as the Phillies' designated hitter during the three-game series against the Rockies, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The 29-year-old also served as the designated hitter Sunday against the Marlins, and it's unclear when he picked up the injury. Regardless, the injury doesn't affect Harper when batting, so for now he'll remain in the lineup without playing the field, which pushes Nick Castellanos to right field.

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Cardinals.

Though McCutchen has turned in nine seasons of double-digit steals during his career, none have come since 2018. That makes McCutchen's early involvement on the bases all the more surprising, as the 35-year-old has now nabbed steals in two straight games and has made three attempts overall through 10 games. McCutchen's willingness to run may be a byproduct of the Brewers' offensive struggles; Sunday's six-run effort was Milwaukee's top total through its first 10 games. Assuming the likes of Christian Yelich and Hunter Renfroe eventually begin to heat up and the Brewers are able to more easily manufacture runs, McCutchen may not be as inclined to go for steals, especially if he continues to stick as the club's cleanup hitter versus right-handed pitching.

Belt went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Guardians.

Belt gave the Giants some extra insurance when he homered off Guardians reliever Anthony Castro in the seventh inning. This was Belt's third long ball in just seven games this season. The first baseman went yard a career-high 29 times last year, and it appears his power surge has carried over. He's slashing .345/.441/.609 with seven RBI and six runs scored through 34 plate appearances in 2022.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 2-1 loss to the Padres on Sunday.

Ozuna took Yu Darvish 408-feet deep in the seventh inning for Atlanta's lone run. After missing the majority of last season, Ozuna has opened 2022 forcefully with four home runs and a .985 OPS through 11 games.

Pederson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a steal in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Guardians.

Pederson scored on an error in the fourth inning and was brought in again in the sixth on a Thairo Estrada double. He also swiped a bag before scoring his second run, his first steal since June 29 of last season. The lefty slugger is hitting .364 with five runs and six strikeouts through 22 at-bats.

Harper went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and two RBI in an 11-3 loss Sunday in Miami.

Harper singled in the third, hit a solo home run in the fifth and added a RBI double in the seventh. After starting the season 1-for-14, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player is 7-for-23 with five extra-base hits over his last six contests. Sunday was the second time he appeared as the designated hitter this season. Nick Castellanos started in right field in his stead.

Blackmon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Rockies' matchup with a lefty starter (Drew Smyly) coupled with the early start for Sunday's series finale (3:10 p.m. ET) were likely factors in the lefty-hitting Blackmon getting his second day off of the season. With Blackmon taking a seat, Yonathan Daza will check into an outfield that also includes Randal Grichuk and Connor Joe.