MLB Player News

McCutchen remains on the bench Tuesday against St. Louis, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

McCutchen doesn't appear to be dealing with any injury, so it's possible he's slipping into the short side of a platoon in left field with Brad Miller, who's starting there again Tuesday. It's hard to argue McCutchen deserves everyday at-bats at the moment, as he's hitting just .154/.300/.231 on the year. The breakdown of playing time going forward may not become clear for a few more games.

Ruf went 1-for-3 with an RBI single, two walks and a run scored in Monday's 12-0 blowout win over the Rockies.

Ruf contributed an RBI single as part of the Giants' first-inning rally. He got aboard with a walk in the second and scored on a three-run double by Mauricio Dubon. Through 36 plate appearances, Ruf has three home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base. The outfielder is slashing .207/.333/.552 and will typically hit in the middle of the order versus southpaws.

Winker went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the Dodgers.

Winker was quiet most of the game but came through when it mattered most. He led off the 10th inning by driving a sinker up and away in the zone to the opposite field, giving the Reds a 5-3 lead. It was his second long ball in as many days and his fourth in the last five games. The 27-year-old has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, slashing .382/.432/.691 with five home runs, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored over 17 games to begin the year. He should continue to see everyday reps despite the Reds' crowded outfield group.

Turner isn't in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Reds, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner is just 4-for-24 in his last seven contests, so he'll get a night off to hit the reset button. Edwin Rios is starting at third base and will bat eighth.

McCutchen will sit Monday against the Cardinals.

The Phillies are calling this just a routine day off for McCutchen, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, but it would hardly be a surprise if he finds himself on the bench more often going forward. His 17.5 percent walk rate remains excellent, but that's just about all that's going well for him at the moment, as he's hitting just .154 and slugging .231. The left-handed Brad Miller, who starts in his place Monday, would make for an obvious platoon partner, but the Phillies aren't expected to go in that direction quite yet.

Miller (neck) will lead off and play left field Monday against the Cardinals.

Miller finds himself starting for the first time since getting scratched Friday with neck stiffness, though he did appear off the bench in Sunday's contest. He'll start in place of Andrew McCutchen, who could begin to sit more frequently if he can't turn his .154/.300/.231 slash line around.

Harper went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 12-2 loss to the Rockies.

Harper hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats of the afternoon, including a 468-foot shot to right field, good for third-longest this season. The 28-year-old has been unconscious at the plate lately, slashing .483/.583/.1.000 with four home runs, six RBI, 10 runs scored and a 7:4 BB:K over his last eight games.

Winker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Winker went deep off Jack Flaherty to break the shutout in the seventh inning. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games Sunday, collecting six extra-base hits during that span. The lefty slugger owns a terrific .381/.435/.667 slash line with nine extra-base hits in 69 plate appearances this season.

Dickerson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Miami is opening the contest with a lefty pitcher (Ross Detwiler), so the lefty-hitting Dickerson will take a seat as the Giants hand the right-handed-hitting Darin Ruf a start in his stead. After a slow start to the season, Dickerson is beginning to settle into a rhythm at the plate; he's recorded eight hits in 22 at-bats over his last seven games.

Miller (neck) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Since delivering a four-hit game Wednesday against the Giants, Miller has yet to rejoin the lineup while battling neck soreness. Nick Maton will pick up another start at second base Sunday, though Miller will likely be available off the bench even as he continues to manage the injury.