MLB Player News

Cespedes went 4-for-6 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Friday's 14-2 rout of the Rockies.

It's his first multi-hit performance since June 23, and Cespedes went just 6-for-45 (.133) with no extra-base hits or RBI in the 11 games between those offensive outbursts. The rest he got over the All-Star break may have been exactly what the 31-year-old needed to get back into a groove at the plate.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 5-0 win over the Reds.

He's got 22 homers, 68 RBI and 72 runs to go along with his 1.042 OPS on the season, and the All-Star break did little to cool Harper down -- he's now hitting .441 (15-for-34) in July with an absurd 7:3 BB:K in nine games.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a pair of runs scored in Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Marlins.

The veteran first baseman is carrying a modest six-game hitting streak heading into the All-Star break. Belt's .243 batting average leaves much to be desired, but he has maintained his excellent on-base skills while contributing 16 home runs, which puts him well on pace to break his career-high mark of 18 he set in 2015.

Turner hit two home runs Sunday, powering his team to a 5-2 win over Kansas City.

Turner played co-hero with Clayton Kershaw in this one, as Kershaw backed up Turner's pair of bombs with a 13-strikeout, complete-game victory. The third baseman had a whale of a first half, finishing with a ridiculous .377 average and 1.056 OPS over 228 at-bats. That said, despite Turner's amazing contact numbers, he's provided just 37 RBI and 10 homers, which has prevented him from joining the truly elite fantasy producers.

Stanton went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs and four runs scored during Sunday's win over the Giants.

The slugger enters the All-Star break with a .277/.360/.572 slash line, 26 bombs, 58 RBI and 60 runs. Most importantly, of course, is that Stanton is also healthy. Barring injury, he should cruise to career-best numbers across the board.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

With the left-handed Danny Duffy toeing the rubber for the Royals, Pederson will find himself stationed on the bench for the final game of the season's first half despite homering Saturday. Trayce Thompson will draw the start in his stead, batting eighth.

Harper will bat second in the order for Saturday's contest against the Braves, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Harper moves up a spot in the batting order to bat second for the second time in the past month. With Michael Taylor (oblique) landing on the disabled list prior to Friday's game, there isn't a clear-cut answer for who manager Dusty Baker should stick into the two spot, so he will give Harper the opportunity while Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon each move up a spot to go 3-4-5 in the order.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a double and a two-run homer in Friday's win over the Giants.

He's now regained the Marlins' team lead in homers from Marcell Ozuna with 24, and Stanton's hitting .296/.367/.667 with three homers and six RBI through the first week in July. As long as he can stay healthy in the second half, the right fielder seems poised to deliver the kind of monster power performance that's been expected of him ever since he broke into the majors as a 20-year-old in 2010.

Blackmon went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and three runs scored during Friday's win over the White Sox.

Blackmon shifted down to the three-hole Thursday with Nolan Arenado taking a breather, but the center fielder was right back in the leadoff spot Friday. With a .318/.372/.581 slash line, 19 homers, 60 RBI, seven stolen bases and 70 runs, Blackmon is having another monster fantasy campaign.

Turner is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Logan Forsythe will shift over to third base, opening the door for Chase Utley at the keystone. Turner, a first-time All-Star this year, has been red hot since his return from the DL in early June, collecting 31 hits and seven homers in his last 81 at-bats. However, the Dodgers have been sitting him once a week or so, and that figures to continue as they look to preserve his health for the stretch run.