MLB Player News

Pederson went 2-for-3 with two home runs, five RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Wednesday's win over the Padres.

Pederson delivered a complete performance Wednesday, launching a two-run shot in the second and later adding a three-run shot in the sixth -- he also chipped in another run scored in the fifth following an RBI single from Will Smith. Pederson has hit safely in four of his last five appearances and accounts for three homers in his last three games.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a double, a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Rockies.

His first long ball of the year was a big one, as it turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead for San Francisco. Belt missed the start of the season with an Achilles injury and it looks like he may be a strict platoon player at this point -- sharing time with Wilmer Flores -- but he is seeing the ball well through five games (five walks, two extra-base hits) and is locked into the heart of the order against righties.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Yankees, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

McCutchen started in left field and batted leadoff during the matinee, going 0-for-3 with two runs and two walks. Jay Bruce will take over in left field for the Phillies in Game 2.

Harper (undisclosed) is starting in right field and batting third in Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The 27-year-old made an early exit from the matinee after being looked at by the athletic trainer, but it was apparently a precautionary move with the Phillies holding an 11-3 lead. Harper was productive during Game 1 before exiting, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs and a walk.

Harper was removed from the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader for an undisclosed reason, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Harper was looked at by a trainer after reaching base during the fifth inning but was able to remain in the game. However, the 27-year-old was pulled in the sixth inning, which could simply be a precautionary measure with the Phillies leading 11-3 at the time. His status for Game 2 is unclear. Prior to his early exit, Harper went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, two runs and one walk.

Miller, who was activated from the injured list Tuesday, is a candidate to fill in all over the infield and as the designated hitter while multiple players are sidelined due to COVID-19 infection, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Miller's return from an ankle injury couldn't have come at a better time, as the Cardinals will be fielding a makeshift roster for the time being. The veteran brings a level of versatility ideally suited for such an unprecedented situation, as he's played every non-pitching position except catcher during his seven big-league seasons and even has 34 games of DH experience from his time in the AL with the Mariners, Rays and Indians. The current personnel shortfall for the Cardinals could equate to Miller enjoying frequent playing time in the short term.

Carpenter, who's filled the designated hitter role for the first five games of the season, is projected to shift to third base as part of the domino effect of Paul DeJong's (illness) absence, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Carpenter has started 635 career games at the hot corner, so the move, which is necessitated by Tommy Edman shifting over to shortstop in DeJong's stead, should be a good fit and should continue to keep the veteran's bat in the lineup on an everyday basis. Carpenter is slashing .200/.294/.267 over his first 17 plate appearances, but he should have plenty of opportunities to improve on those numbers for the time being without having to be overly concerned about a benching.

MIller (ankle) was activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.

Miller had been dealing with heel and ankle issues since early in camp. It's certainly a good time for him to get healthy, as the Cardinals placed six players on the injured list Tuesday amidst their coronavirus outbreak. That outbreak means the team won't be playing any games until Friday at the earliest, but Miller has a good chance to fill a somewhat significant role until his teammates get healthy.

The Mets placed Cespedes on the restricted list Sunday after he informed the team he was opting out of the 2020 season.

The transaction opened up spots on the Mets' 30-man active roster, 40-man roster and 60-man roster pool. Before opting out, Cespedes appeared in eight games for the Mets and went 5-for-31 with two home runs and four RBI.

The Dodgers are considering having Pederson bat leadoff against right-handed starters, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Los Angeles has been employing a matchup-based lineup strategy throughout the season, with Max Muncy batting first against right-handed starters and Mookie Betts leading off against southpaws. However, Muncy has been struggling of late, going 2-for-16 over his last four games. Pederson took over the leadoff spot against right-hander Chris Paddack on Monday and promptly went deep on the first pitch of the contest for his first home run of the season. Pederson has had plenty of success as a leadoff hitter in the past -- he hit 17 leadoff homers between 2018 and 2019, including a franchise-record nine last season.