MLB Player News

Ruf will start in left field for the third straight game Sunday against the Braves, MLB.com reports.

Finding competent corner outfield play has been an issue all season for the Phillies, and it seems Ruf is the latest player to get an extended look at the position following his Sept. 2 call-up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Ruf has shown power during his time in the minors, but he's struggled to make contact during various stints at the MLB level over the last several years, making him a potential batting average liability for a fantasy team.

Soler (toe) remains out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants.

Soler was scratched Saturday due to an ingrown toenail, an ailment that will limit one of his best tools: his mobility. He'll sit again Sunday, and should be considered day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener in Milwaukee.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in a loss to the Brewers on Saturday.

The 29-year-old center fielder has found his stroke. He has a hit in 10 of his last 11 games and he's reached base in 11 straight. McCutchen has been far more patient since his benching the first week of August. Since Aug. 5, he has 18 walks versus 17 strikeouts. He is hitting .253 with 19 homers, 58 RBI, 68 runs and six steals in 491 at-bats this season.

Blackmon was a late scratch Saturday due to back tightness, ROOT Sports' Jenny Cavnar reports.

This injury came out of nowhere, and it will allow rookie Raimel Tapia to make his first career start while also leading off against Arizona on Saturday. Blackmon should be considered day-to-day for now, but if he were to miss more time, Tapia would be ready to fill in.

Blackmon has been scratched from Saturday's lineup.

A reason for his removal from the lineup was not immediately provided, but Blackmon was scratched about two hours prior to first pitch, so something may have happened during batting practice. Raimel Tapia is now slated to start in center field and lead off against right-hander Braden Shipley.

Dickerson is out of the lineup Saturday against the Dodgers.

The Padres are going with a righty-heavy lineup Saturday against southpaw Rich Hill, meaning Dickerson and fellow corner outfielder Oswaldo Arcia will start the game on the bench. Adam Rosales will get the start in left field and hit seventh.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double in Friday's 1-0 loss to the Brewers.

The veteran slugger is finally starting to hit his stride at the plate, now having reached safely in 10 straight contests. McCutchen has three multi-hit efforts over that span as well, along with three doubles, a homer and five RBI. Although his current .253 average sits a full 40 points below his career mark in that category, the 30-year-old has a strong chance of hitting the 20-homer mark for the sixth straight campaign with a full month of baseball remaining.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double Friday against the Brewers.

His inability to catch a tough fly ball on the warning track led Milwaukee to the only run of the game, but fantasy owners have to be happy the center fielder is finally producing. Since the beginning of August, McCutchen is slashing .299/.404/.443 with a 17:17 BB:K ratio. He's 5-for-13 with four walks against Saturday starter Jimmy Nelson.

Soler was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a toenail issue.

More specifically, Soler is dealing with an ingrown toenail. That may not appear to be much on the surface, but it is apparently limiting Soler's mobility, and will sideline him Saturday. Soler was set to play right field and bat cleanup, but in the corresponding changes, Tommy La Stella will enter the lineup at third base, and Addison Russell will move up to the cleanup spot.

Harper went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and two RBI in a loss Friday against the Mets.

Harper appears to be finally breaking out of his summer-long doldrums with the help of new leadoff hitter and lineup catalyst Trea Turner. Since August 25, he has eight doubles, a home run and nine RBI.This is an encouraging development for fantasy owners who used a high selection on him early on but have relatively little to show for it.