MLB Player News

Harper went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Braves.

It was his third homer in the last seven games and 28th of the season, as Harper continues to turn around a disappointing campaign. He's hitting .339 (21-for-62) since the All-Star break with five home runs and 17 RBI in 18 games.

Carpenter went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the Cardinals' 3-2 win over the Marlins on Tuesday.

The home run was Carpenter's 30th of the season, giving him sole possession of the National League lead. Given that Carpenter had only gone deep three times through May 20, his surge up the leaderboard has been nothing short of miraculous. In addition to bagging 27 more long balls since that date, Carpenter has also delivered a .327 average, 46 RBI and 60 runs in 69 games, making him a four-category stalwart.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a run Tuesday in the Rockies' 10-2 loss to the Pirates.

Before receiving Monday off, Blackmon had gone 1-for-21 over the Rockies' prior five contests. The outfielder got back on track Tuesday, with his base knock in the bottom of the sixth inning giving him 1,000 hits for his career. He added another single later in the contest to finish with his first two-hit performance since July 29.

Reyes started in right field and went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 11-5 win over Milwaukee.

Reyes surprisingly got the nod over Travis Jankowski despite a right-hander toeing the rubber for the Brewers. The latter's production at the plate has really tailed off following a hot start to the year (.255/.331/.325), so it is possible that Reyes could get an extended look in right, at least until Wil Myers (foot) returns from the disabled list. The Friars are scheduled to face another righty Wednesday, which should shed light on whether or not the rookie has gained a regular role in the outfield.

Harper went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in a win over the Braves in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

Harper is now batting .370 with four homers and 16 RBI in 16 games since the All-Star break, giving him 27 homers and 70 RBI for the season. He is slated to man right field and bat cleanup against lefty Sean Newcomb in the nightcap.

Pederson is not in the lineup Tuesday against the A's, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson will find his usual seat on the bench with a left-hander (Sean Manaea) toeing the rubber for the opposition. The Dodgers will deploy an outfield consisting of Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez and Yasiel Puig (from left to right) in this one.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Belt (knee) could return sometime during the Giants' upcoming series against the Dodgers, which starts Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt has been taking grounders at first base for the past couple of days and is nearing a return from the disabled list. The 30-year-old is hoping to resume running this week, and if all goes well he could rejoin the Giants' starting lineup early next week. That said, with Clayton Kershaw set to start for the Dodgers on Monday, Belt -- who is just 4-for-54 (.074) with 28 strikeouts in his career against Kershaw -- likely wouldn't return to the fold until Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, Austin Slater and Buster Posey should continue to cover first base in his absence.

Ozuna went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Marlins on Monday.

The outfielder enjoyed his first return to Marlins Park, serving as one of the few offensive bright spots for the Cardinals on a night where their bats were mostly dormant. Ozuna has opened August hitting .333 (8-for-24) over the first six games of the month, and he's reached safely in 12 of his last 14 contests overall. All three components of his .269/.314/.391 season line are still under his career numbers, but Ozuna offered some reason for optimism by smacking a trio of homers over the last four games of July.

Belt (knee) took grounders for the second straight day Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt was reportedly working a little more aggressively during Monday's fielding session. He's hoping to resume running later in the week, after which a more concrete return date will hopefully come into focus. The first baseman has been on the disabled list since July 26 with a bone bruise in his knee. Belt said he expects to wear a knee brace once activated. In the meantime, Austin Slater will continue to fill in for Belt at first base.

Blackmon is not in the lineup Monday against the Pirates, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon will sit for the first time in over a month. David Dahl will start in center field for the Rockies.