MLB Player News

Stanton (side), who is out of Sunday's lineup, plans to take batting practice prior to the game, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

If everything goes well for Stanton, the hope is that he'll be able to return to action during the upcoming four-game series against the Pirates. Stanton is currently scheduled to miss his fifth straight game Sunday, but seems to be trending in the right direction. Fantasy owners may stand to benefit by checking out the Marlins lineup Monday before make a decision on Stanton for the upcoming lineup period.

Stanton (side) is out of the lineup for the fifth straight game Sunday against the Braves, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Stanton continues to deal with discomfort in his side, proving this can often be a nagging injury, especially for hitters with that type of bat speed. Ichiro Suzuki will get another start at right field in his stead -- his fourth in the last five games. Considering Stanton hasn't even been able to pinch hit during his absence, he should be thought of as questionable, at best, for Monday's series opener against the Pirates.

Soler is out of the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Soler had made back-to-back starts in left field, and has started eight of the last nine overall games at that position. He'll get a routine day off Sunday, however, giving way to Matt Szczur in the outfield. Despite homering in Friday's contest, an 0-for-2 effort Saturday brought his average down to .211 on the season.

Belt (ankle) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Saturday's 10-5 victory over the Rockies.

The 28-year-old first baseman showed no ill effects from the ankle ailment that forced him to miss Friday's series opener, as he managed his first multi-hit effort since May 17. Belt's hitting has faltered just slightly in May, but he's still slashing a solid .286/.412/.460 for the season in 161 at-bats.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a home run Saturday against the Cardinals.

The reigning NL MVP has slowed down a bit in recent weeks, but he remains an absolute must-start in all fantasy formats. Harper's average sits at .245, but he's on a nice three-game hitting streak with two homers over that span. His ability to get on base is also a plus, as his .420 OBP ranks eighth in the NL.

Carpenter is in the lineup for Saturday's matchup with the Nationals.

Carpenter was activated from the paternity list Saturday, and will immediately be put in the lineup. He will start at first base and bat leadoff. The Cardinals will face off against Gio Gonzalez; whom Carpenter is just 1-for-13 against in his career.

Belt (ankle) is in the lineup for Saturday's matchup with the Rockies, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt suffered a mild ankle sprain sliding into second base on Wednesday, which caused him to miss Friday's series opener. However, he will return to action Saturday batting fifth in the order and playing first base. He will face off against the right handed Eddie Butler, whom Belt is 3-for-5 against in his career.

Stanton (side) remains out of the lineup Saturday against the Braves, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Stanton continues to deal with discomfort in his side, and Saturday will mark his fourth consecutive absence. The outfielder took 15 swings off of a tee Friday and did some soft toss in the batting cage, but he remains without a definitive timetable to return to game action. Consider Stanton, who's struggled out to a slow start, day-to-day until the Marlins say otherwise.

Carpenter was activated from the paternity list Saturday.

As expected, Carpenter will rejoin the Cardinals after leaving the team on Wednesday following the birth of his child. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals DFA'd Ruben Tejada to clear a spot on the roster. The Cardinals are yet to release a roster for Saturday's matchup with the Nationals, but Carpenter figures to be available.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI against the Rangers on Friday.

Both of his hits were of the opposite field variety, a good sign, though he whiffed his other three trips to the plate. In fact, his current strikeout rate (23.3 percent) is much higher than his career rate (17.6 percent) and his .811 OPS is the lowest in eight seasons.