MLB Player News

Harper want 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a walk Thursday at the Padres.

Harper's 14th bomb of the year was a two-run shot in the third inning that gave the Nationals a lead they'd never relinquish. The homer broke a 14-game drought, and his slash line is now at .254/.409/.502.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double and a homer in a 6-4 loss to the Mets on Thursday.

He'd been 0-for-15 over the prior four games, so it's nice to see this from McCutchen, but performances of this ilk have been few and far between for him this year. His last three-hit game was nearly a full month ago (May 17) and he's still carrying an abysmal .242/.319/.418 line with a reasonable total of 10 homers, but only one steal all season.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a double and his 10th homer Thursday against the Mets.

The home run was his first since May 27, while his double hit off the left field fence -- a hopeful sign of things to come. McCutchen, who batted third in the lineup for the second straight game, entered Thursday with one extra-base hit in the month of June.

McCutchen batted third in the lineup for the first time in 2016 on Wednesday, going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

He's currently in an 0-for-17 slump and is slashing .140/.204/.160 in 50 at-bats during June. McCutchen's 24.9 percent strikeout rate is well above his career mark of 17.7 percent but the Pirates are hoping a move into a more comfortable three-hole will jumpstart the center fielder's season. He says he's fully recovered from a thumb injury, but the results just aren't there.

Cespedes knocked out three singles in four at-bats, walked once and scored three runs in Wednesday's 11-2 dumping of the Pirates.

The Cuban slugger's been pulling a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde act lately -- Cespedes has six multi-hit games in June thus far, but has gone 0-for-14 in the other games. He also hasn't been swinging much of a power bat lately, as the 30-year-old outfielder has hit just one homer since blasting four in an eight-game span from May 15 to May 23. Nonetheless, he remains the centerpiece of the Mets' order and a key component of many a fantasy lineup.

Belt (ankle) could be available to pinch hit Wednesday but will most likely be ready for Friday's game against the Rays, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt is on pace for a career-best season offensively, hitting .301/.412/.514 with eight home runs, 33 RBI, and 31 runs scored through 64 games. The 28-year-old will look to keep it rolling Friday in Tampa Bay barring any setback with his ankle.

Belt (ankle) is not in the lineup Wednesday against Milwaukee, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt departed Tuesday's game after taking a pitch off the ankle, and while X-Rays returned negative, he'll sit out Wednesday as he deals with swelling and soreness in the area. As a result, the Giants will go with Conor Gillaspie at first base Wednesday, his second start of the season at the position.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Pederson gets the day off Wednesday with the Dodgers facing left-hander Patrick Corbin. His well-documented struggles against left-handed pitching in 2015 have spilled into 2016 as he's hitting a mere .130 through 23 at-bats against southpaws on the year. Trayce Thompson will take over in center field for the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Stanton is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Manager Don Mattingly will give Ichiro Suzuki the nod in right field Tuesday in place of Stanton, who has been mired in one of the worst slumps of his career. Stanton went 1-for-3 with a double in his return to the lineup Tuesday, but he also had had a strikeout, marking 12 consecutive games with a K for him. His next chance to return to the lineup will come Friday against the Rockies.

Belt's X-rays on his right ankle came back negative, Amy Guitierrez of CSN Bay Area reports.

Belt left Tuesday's game shortly after he got hit by a pitch on the ankle. It's unclear if Belt will miss time due to the injury, but if he does, it's likely either Matt Duffy or Buster Posey will fill in for him at first base.