MLB Player News

Harper went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals.

Harper continues his strong second half, lacing an RBI double before knocking in two more with a single in Thursday's victory. He entered the All-Star break with a brutal .214 average, but has brought it back up to .243 along with a solid .895 OPS.

Blackmon is out of the lineup against Atlanta on Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon will take a seat for just the second time since July 1 as David Dahl gets a start in center field in his stead. Across 13 games this month, Blackmon is hitting .151/.224/.208 with just one extra-base hit (a home run) and two RBI while striking out 15 times. Manager Bud Black will give him a chance to clear his head as the Rockies begin a big four-game set against the Braves.

Carpenter (hand) will start at first base and bat atop the order against Washington on Thursday.

Carpenter was forced to leave Wednesday's game in the seventh inning after being struck by a pitch on his right hand. Post-game X-rays indicated that he avoided serious injury and interim manager Mike Shildt had no problems inserting him back into the lineup for Thursday's series finale.

Belt started and batted second Wednesday, going 1-for-5 with a double in an extra-innings loss to the Dodgers.

Belt returned to the starting lineup after being used off the bench following his activation from the disabled list Tuesday. The 30-year-old was sidelined for a few weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee. Belt owns a .281/.373/.472 slash line with 14 homers in 88 games this season, and he will resume his role as the Giants' everyday first baseman going forward.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run, a walk and a strikeout in Wednesday's extra-innings loss to the Dodgers.

McCutchen came through with the clutch hit, tying the score up at three in the eighth inning, though the Giants went on to lose in the 12th. The 31-year-old has been struggling of late, following up a subpar July with a .213/.351/.426 slash line through 47 at-bats in August.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout in Wednesday's win over the Nationals.

Ozuna got the scoring started with his solo blast in the second inning, good for his 14th round tripper of the year. The 27-year-old is rebounding nicely from a disappointing July, hitting .322 so far in August to bring his line on the year to .273/.315/.400.

X-rays on Carpenter's right hand came back negative, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter exited Wednesday's game in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch on his hand. His removal was deemed precautionary and initial X-rays revealed the veteran isn't dealing with a fracture, though he'll likely still head for additional tests in the coming days to confirm he isn't dealing with anything more serious. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Carpenter exited Wednesday's game against the Nationals after being hit by a pitch on his hand, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter immediately left the game with a trainer. It would be a huge blow for the Cardinals and fantasy owners if Carpenter is forced to miss action, as the 32-year-old has been on a tear at the plate. His status should be updated after he's further evaluated following Wednesday's game. Carpenter was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored prior to exiting the game in the seventh inning.

Pederson is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Giants.

Pederson will stick on the bench for a fifth straight game as the Dodgers face another left-hander (Derek Holland). Chris Taylor will start in center field in this one.

Turner went 3-for-4 with three doubles and a strikeout in Tuesday's loss to the Giants.

Turner notched three of the club's five hits on the day and scored the only run, coming around on a Manny Machado single in the eighth inning. The 33-year-old is working on an eight-game hitting streak -- six of which have been multi-hit efforts -- and is slashing a terrific .436/.511/.795 in 39 at-bats since the calendar flipped to August.