MLB Player News

Blackmon went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk Thursday against the Giants.

Blackmon took Caleb Baragar deep in the seventh inning for his second home run of the season. He's swung the bat well to open the campaign, and extended his hitting streak to 10 games with this performance. Overall, Blackmon has 12 RBI and nine runs scored to go along with a .375/.392/.542 line across 51 plate appearances to begin the season.

Dickerson is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies.

He'll retreat to the bench with southpaw Kyle Freeland on the mound for the Rockies. The righty-hitting Hunter Pence will replace the lefty-hitting Dickerson in the Giants outfield.

Belt is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies.

Belt will take a seat with the Giants facing a left-handed starting pitcher (Kyle Freeland) in a day game after a night game. Belt was able to take advantage while starting in the first three games of the series at Coors Field, going 4-for-12 with a home run, a double, two runs and three RBI.

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.