MLB Player News

McCutchen (shin) is starting in center field and hitting third Saturday against the Giants.

He fouled a ball off his left shin in Friday's game, but the bruise was not serious enough to keep him out the following day. McCutchen hit .411/.505/.689 with six home runs and more walks (17) than strikeouts (12) in 90 June at-bats.

Carpenter could play some games at second base in the near future in order to open up playing time for rookie Luke Voit, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. "Just making sure we're covering all our bases if there's options," manager Mike Matheny said. "If we're faced with a tough lefty, that's something we're going to at least make sure we have covered.

Carpenter took grounders at second during infield work Friday, and he could see a handful of starts at the position until Kolten Wong (elbow) returns later in July. The 31-year-old has acquitted himself well at first base this season, but he was an All-Star second baseman in 2013 and also played 40 games at the keystone last season.

McCutchen expects to play Saturday after fouling a ball off his left shin, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. "It hurts," McCutchen said with a smile after the game. "It's good, though - but it hurts."

McCutchen was also plunked in the back by an off-speed pitch Friday. The outfielder, who has reached base in eight straight plate appearances, finishes June with a .411 average, .509 on-base percentage, .689 slugging percentage and 1.198 OPS.

McCutchen suffered an ankle injury in Friday's game against San Francisco but doesn't expect to miss any time, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

McCutchen still went 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch and managed a single even after suffering the injury. He says he'll play if he can walk, and he was walking just fine after Friday's game. Still, to be on the safe side, McCutchen should be considered day-to-day.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk and four RBI on Friday against the Pirates.

Belt had a solid night during a game in which the Giants lit the Pirates up for 13 runs in a winning effort. Despite having a weak .232 batting average, he's a useful fantasy option based on his 15 homers and .457 slugging percentage.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

Pederson will get his first day off since last Friday with southpaw Clayton Richard heading to the mound for San Diego. In his place, Trayce Thompson will man center and bat seventh in the order.

Pederson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's win over the Angels.

The 25-year-old has been on a power binge since returning from the disabled list June 13, tallying six homers and 13 RBI over a 17-game stretch. Pederson is batting .291 (16-for-55) over that span, but fantasy owners shouldn't expect that to be sustainable for the career .225 hitter. His power and on-base skills, however, are legitimate.

Stanton ripped his 21st homer as part of a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of runs in Wednesday's loss to the Mets.

The RBI was No. 50 on the year for Stanton, and he's provided 50 runs to boot, putting him on pace for career highs in both of those categories as well as home runs. Although he whiffed twice in this one, Stanton has still cut his strikeout rate noticeably this season, leading to a bit of an uptick in batting average; of course, that'll never be a strength for him, but his current .274 mark is most welcome after he hit .240 last year.

Ozuna is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mets, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

It's a rare day off for Ozuna, who will head to the bench for just the first time all season. There has been no report of injury, so it appears to simply be a deserved day off for the 26-year-old outfielder. He's in the midst of a breakout season, slashing .315/.378/.565 with 20 homers and 54 RBI in 76 games this year.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

It's been eight games since his last homer, but Harper's hardly been quiet at the plate during that stretch, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with five RBI. It's only a matter of time before the 24-year-old adds to his 18 home runs on the season.