MLB Player News

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk and a run scored in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.

The double broke up an ugly 0-for-21 stretch at the plate for the slugging outfielder. That kind of inconsistency -- and his regular benching against southpaws, is what holds Pederson back from being a reliable outfielder in standard formats. That said, when he is on, there aren't too many players who are more likely to go deep at any given moment, so those in need of power should stick by the 25-year-old.

Harper went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 10-1 rout of the Marlins.

It's his fourth multi-hit performance in the last six games, and Harper has a .375/.393/.625 slash line over that stretch with two homers, six runs and six RBI. With an NL East title and possible NL Triple Crown in his sights, expect the 24-year-old superstar to remain locked in over the final weeks of the season.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers.

Martinez gave the Diamondbacks their only lead of the game in the sixth inning, when his RBI single plated A.J. Pollock. With eight home runs since his July 18 acquisition from the Tigers, Martinez has certainly met the Diamondbacks' expectations in the power department, and now he's begun to cut down on the strikeouts and make more consistent contact as well. Two of Martinez's three multi-hit games with the Diamondbacks have come in the last four contests.

Belt (concussion) is scheduled to visit doctors Friday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt, who was placed on the disabled list over the weekend after taking a pitch off his helmet against the Diamondbacks, said he is feeling better and is expected to rest some more before being reevaluated. He isn't planning to see a specialist at this point -- which is good news -- though he still remains without a timetable for his return. More should be known following Friday's checkup.

Blackmon went 3-for-6 with a solo home run during Wednesday's win over Cleveland.

Blackmon just continues to pad his statistics, and the outfielder is now up to an elite .333/.388/.616 slash line with 27 homers, 74 RBI, nine stolen bases and 102 runs. Playing his home games at Coors Field should help Blackmon avoid a slump down the stretch, too.

Winker is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Patrick Kivlehan will take over in right field against lefty Travis Wood, pushing Winker to the bench following eight straight starts (all against right-handed pitching). Winker burst back onto the scene with homers in back-to-back games to begin August, but he's just 2-for-13 in his last four games. As a result of his recent skid, Winker has fallen to the bottom half of the batting order, but he should continue to play regularly, at least until Scott Schebler (shoulder) returns to action.

Turner launched a pair of solo homers in four at-bats Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

He's now left the yard in three straight games, a span in which Turner has gone 6-for-13 with four long balls, a double, five RBI and seven runs -- and a couple steals, too. That's a heck of an impressive run from a guy who was already easily pacing the National League in batting average. Turner's now pushed his OPS up to a sizzling 1.009, too -- only Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto are ahead of him in that category, and not by all that much.

Ozuna is taking a seat for Miami's contest against Washington on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports.

After hitting a three-run bomb in the series opener, the Miami left fielder will get what looks like a breather as the set continues Wednesday night. Ichiro Suzuki will take his place in the outfield and bat seventh against Nationals right-hander A.J. Cole.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Nationals.

He's been impressive so far in August, slashing .364/.440/1.000 in six games with four homers -- taking over the major-league lead in that category from the Yankees' Aaron Judge. Stanton has already tied his previous career high with 37 blasts, and his current .981 OPS would also be a personal best.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's win over the Marlins.

His 29th homer of the year, and 150th of his career, was a majestic blast to right-center on a first-pitch curve from Odrisamer Despaigne in the fourth inning. Harper is heating up again with seven hits and two home runs in his last four games and he remains within striking distance of an NL Triple Crown, sitting fourth in batting average (.327), tied for fourth in homers (29) and fifth in RBI (82).