MLB Player News

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in a win over the Mets on Wednesday.

Ozuna helped set the tone for what would end up being a prolific night for the Cardinals offense, coming through with a clutch two-run, two-out single in the third inning. The marquee offseason acquisition has been mired in a slump recently, as after a scorching hot start to April, he's only 2-for-27 over his last seven games. However, he's been a run-producing machine throughout the month, with Wednesday's pair of RBI pushing his total to 13.

Winker is out of the lineup Thursday against the Braves, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Interim manager Jim Riggleman is stacking his starting nine with mostly right-handed bats to counter Atlanta lefty Sean Newcomb, resulting in lineup mainstays Winker and Scooter Gennett receiving the day off. Winker's move to the bench will open up a spot in the lineup for Billy Hamilton, who had sat out Wednesday as part of the Reds' four-man outfield rotation.

Carpenter is out of the lineup against the Mets on Wednesday, Brian Stull of St. Louis Baseball Weekly reports.

Carpenter will receive a standard day off following five straight starts as Jedd Gyorko gets the nod at third base for Wednesday's affair. Over 21 games in 2018, Carpenter is hitting .167/.326/.306 with two home runs and 10 RBI.

Belt went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Tuesday's win over the visiting Nationals.

The homers keep coming for the first baseman. That's now five home runs in the last six games, with eight RBI in that span. Belt has brought his slash line up to .292/.418/.691, with 12 RBI and 10 runs scored in 19 games. He'll look to keep the hot bat going during the homestand, with the Dodgers and Padres heading to town next.

Cespedes went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and two strikeouts in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals.

It's been boom-or-bust to this point with Cespedes, who's struck out nine times in the last three games while dropping to a .195/.255/.379 slash line in the process. Despite that, he still ranks second in the NL with 21 RBI thanks to his five home runs and some timely hitting. He's hit .280 or better in each of the last three seasons, and it seems like only a matter of time until the average ticks up.

Winker is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Braves, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Winker is in the midst of a four-game hitting streak, and he's now hitting a respectable .283/.433/.321 on the season, but he'll head to the bench for Monday's series opener against the Braves after starting each of the previous five games in the outfield. He should continue to see occasional days off with the Reds deploying a four-man outfield rotation consisting of Winker and Monday's starters -- Scott Schebler, Billy Hamilton and Adam Duvall.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, three runs scored and an RBI on Sunday against the Cubs.

Blackmon continues to accumulate stats at a prolific rate, and he benefited from a big offensive performance from the Rockies by scoring three runs. His home run came in the fifth inning off left-handed pitcher Jose Quintana, though he has remained dangerous at the plate without the platoon advantage in the past. With another series upcoming at Coors Field beginning Monday against the Padres, expect the big numbers from Blackmon to continue.

Belt went 3-for-5 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored Sunday in the win over the Angels.

Belt has blasted a home run in back-to-back games and is slugging .576 in 17 games this season. It's unclear whether he'll be able to continue this recent power surge, but he figures to see plenty of opportunities to do so moving forward. The Giants take on the Nationals in a three-game set starting Monday.

Ozuna is not in the lineup Sunday against the Reds.

Ozuna, who has just one hit in his last 18 at-bats, will be given Sunday off for the second straight week. The sample size is still relatively small, but the former Marlin is off to a brutal start at the plate this season. His walk rate is down, his strikeout rate is up and he's hitting for considerably less power than he did in previous seasons. He'll hopefully begin heating up with the weather moving forward, but the early results are disappointing. Tyler O'Neill draws the start in left field Sunday.

Belt went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer against the Angels on Saturday.

Belt took start Garrett Richards deep in the second inning to record his fourth home run of the season. His current .519 slugging percentage is a relative surge in power and is the result of him pulling the ball in the air at a higher rate in the early going. It remains to be seen if this something he can carry forward, but if it is, he may be a good source of power tis year.