MLB Player News

Stanton continues to look lost at the plate, going 0-for-4 with three more strikeouts in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Mets.

The 26-year-old's nightmarish season continues, with the trio of whiffs he suffered Friday bringing his season total to an astounding 67 in just 164 at-bats. Stanton's strikeout rate is now the highest it's ever been in his nine-plus professional seasons, save for a 35-plate appearance stint in Single-A ball in 2007. While he has managed to keep his power at respectable levels, that aspect of his game has suffered a downturn in recent weeks as well. After recording eight homers in April, Stanton has just four roundtrippers since that point, and just two in his last 42 at-bats.

Ozuna went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two RBI in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Mets.

He'll be retelling the story behind this one for a long time, as Ozuna connected on a 100mph-fastball from Noah Syndergaard on his roundtripper, his 11th on the season. The 24-year-old had also gone hitless over his last four games, so the homer was certainly notable in more ways than one. Despite the recent struggles, he's slashing .327/.377/.579 over 202 at-bats, while already surpassing his 2015 homer total.

McCutchen (thumb) is in the lineup Friday and hitting second against the Angels.

He aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in Thursday's game, but will attempt to play through any lingering discomfort. McCutchen probably isn't 100 percent healthy, so that should be noted when contemplating deploying him in daily leagues, but with Jered Weaver and his 5.40 ERA on the mound for the Angels, it's an appealing matchup nonetheless.

Harper (knee) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds.

After missing two consecutive games due to a knee contusion, Harper will rejoin the Nationals' lineup in time for their series opener at Great American Ball Park. He'll face left-hander Brandon Finnegan in his return. Harper has struggled of late and he's struggled against lefties all season by his standards, batting .225 with a .808 OPS in 40 at-bats against southpaws.

Soler is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Soler went 2-for-3 with two runs in Thursday's game and started 11 of the last 14 games in left field, but manager Joe Maddon decided to hold him out Friday with Kris Bryant moving to the outfield to make room for Tommy La Stella at third base.

McCutchen aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in Thursday's game against the Marlins, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

Fortunately, McCutchen told MLB.com's Adam Berry that he didn't consider the issue to be one that would require a stint on the disabled list. However, thumb injuries can obviously affect a player's ability to grip the bat, so McCutchen may have to battle through more discomfort until the soreness eventually subsides. He figures to be back in the lineup Friday, but if Clint Hurdle opts to give the star outfield the day off, Starling Marte could slide over to center while Matt Joyce takes over in left.

Belt went 2-for-3 with a walk and two doubles in Thursday's win against the Braves.

Belt pushed his average back above .300 for the first time since May 18. He's had a great start to the season in nearly every facet of the game. The first baseman's plate discipline has been elite and Belt's contact rate is at a career high (80 percent). His strike out rate has improved to a career-best 16.1 percent, too.

Stanton went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, two walks and a strikeout against Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Stanton has been a huge fantasy disappointment this season, but the fact that he's hitting, getting on base and producing runs could indicate he might be leaving his slump behind. His average is still a paltry .213, but he's hit safely in four of the past five games. All the signs indicate he's on the right track.

Soler went 2-for-3 and scored twice in Thursday's win over the Dodgers.

The Cuban outfielder has had a rough go at it early in the season, slashing a paltry .202/.302/.361 through 45 games. Soler is striking out more than 25-percent of the time and has been a bit unlucky with a .241 BABIP. There are signs of life, however, as Soler has notched four multi-hit performances in his past 11 games after accomplishing that feat just twice in the first 34 contests.

McCutchen left Thursday's game in the sixth inning with right thumb discomfort.

After lining out to short in the top of the sixth, McCutchen was replaced in center field by Starling Marte in the bottom of the frame, with Sean Rodriguez taking over in left field. The Pirates have not given any hint as to the severity of the injury, so McCutchen's availability for Friday's series opener against the Angels and the rest of the weekend is uncertain.