MLB Player News

Jimenez was 2-3 with a home run and four RBI during the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday.

Sunday marked a great ending to a fantastic first half for Jimenez, who slashed .332/.372/.527 with Single-A South Bend. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Cubs challenge the 19-year-old by sending him to High-A or even Double-A before the season's end. Jimenez has grown as a player in nearly every category in each of his first three seasons in the minors, and it looks like he's only scratching the surface of his potential as an impact player at the big league level.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's loss to the Cubs.

The homer was his second in as many games and 14th of the season, and McCutchen closed out the first half with an impressive .314/.375/.543 line through nine July games. If he can stay healthy after the All-Star break then he still has time to put up some big numbers and justify his preseason ADP.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run shot, his 20th home run of the season, in Sunday's win over the Reds.

His bat has suddenly come alive heading into the All-Star break and Stanton now has a seven-game hitting streak going that includes five homers and 10 RBI. Don't be surprised if he steals the show during the Home Run Derby.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Phillies.

The Rockies' dynamic leadoff man heads into the All-Star break with a six-game hitting streak, and also having hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. Blackmon has yet to homer in the new month, but is contributing in virtually every other category. He's currently hitting .341 in July following Sunday's production, with two doubles, three runs and four stolen bases.

Cespedes (quadriceps) is unsure if he'll be ready to play Friday's game following the All-Star break, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Even though his quad is feeling better, Cespedes's status for Friday's game is still uncertain. If the slugger misses more time, he'll be replaced in the outfield by Alejandro De Aza.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, three RBI and a run in Saturday's 12-6 victory over the Cubs.

He evened things up at four apiece in the third with a 419-foot shot off Jon Lester, his first long ball since June 25. McCutchen came back to add the go-ahead runs in the next frame with a clutch single that plated Eric Fryer and Jody Mercer, snapping a 5-5 tie. The 29-year-old slugger now has consecutive multi-hit outings and is slashing .313/.389/.469 overall in 32 July at-bats.

Belt went 0-for-1 with four walks and a run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

That wasn't a typo, Belt did actually start this game, but he reached base via the free pass four times Friday, only registering one official at-bat. He exhibited his elite plate discipline, bringing his on-base percentage over the .400-mark, something only eight other players in the majors can make a claim to. While the All-Star voting system is essentially a popularity contest, it is safe to say that Belt earned his first appearance with a slash line of .299/.404/.517 through the first half of the season.

Cespedes (quadriceps) will not participate in the All-Star game, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports.

The star slugger is nursing a quadriceps injury that was already expected to keep him out through the All-Star break, so the news of him not participating in the All-Star game itself was expected. Pittsburgh's Starling Marte will take his spot on the National League's roster.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double and RBI in Friday's 8-4 victory over the Cubs.

It was the second multi-hit outing in the last four for the veteran slugger, who's endured a tough season at the plate and a variety of injuries this season. He's showing signs of picking it up so far in July, slashing .296/.387/.370 over 27 at-bats.

Cespedes, who suffered a quad strain in Friday's game, is unlikely to return until after the All-Star break, The Star-Ledger's Maria Guardado reports.

Manager Terry Collins said he didn't expect Cespedes to play in the All-Star game, so it seems unlikely he'll play Saturday or Sunday. He hurt the quad going after a Daniel Murphy double in the third inning of Friday's game. Cespedes said he has dealt with a similar issue previously and only missed a handful of days in that instance, while also adding that he's hopeful he will be able to avoid a DL stint. It sounds like a major injury was avoided, but owners should be prepared to be without the star outfielder for the rest of the first half.