MLB Player News

Stanton (side) did some work in the batting cage prior to Friday's game against the Braves, MLB.com reports.

Stanton took 15 swings off a tee and did some soft-toss work in the batting cage prior to the series opener in Atlanta, but remains without a definitive timeline for a return. He's batting just .214/.326/.481 on the season with 12 home runs and 26 RBI in 43 games.

Ruf went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Ruf is hitting .256/.292/.628 with five home runs in 43 at-bats since being sent back to minors earlier this month. Tommy Joseph has gotten off to a solid start in the majors, so it may be a while before Ruf gets another opportunity with the Phils.

Ozuna went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Braves.

The 25-year-old continues to wield one of the hottest bats in the majors, now slashing .426/.455/.734 over 94 at-bats in May. The performance marked Ozuna's fifth straight multi-hit effort, while extending his streak of reaching base safely to 34 games.

Blackmon went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run Friday against the Giants.

The center fielder has been pretty hot of late, with hits in nine of the last 10 games and a .333 average over that span. Blackmon now has a five-game hitting streak to his name, and five of his 15 hits have gone for extra bases, so he's been doing a lot of damage at the top of the lineup in recent weeks.

Soler was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the Cubs' win over Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.

He got things started with a run-scoring single in the first inning, and then helped ignite a four-run fourth inning with a solo home run, his fifth of the season. Unfortunately, he also struck out twice, certainly a contributing factor in his disappointing .214 average.

Belt (ankle) is expected to return to the lineup for Saturday's matchup with the Rockies, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports.

Belt suffered a mild ankle sprain Wednesday, which will cause him to sit out of Friday's series opener. Fortunately, manager Bruce Bochy indicated that he expects Belt to start Saturday. He has been mired in a bit of a slump recently with just two hits in his last 24 at-bats.

Belt (ankle) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies.

After suffering a mild ankle sprain in Wednesday's contest, manager Bruce Bochy decided to give Belt another day off to get his ankle completely up to speed. Buster Posey will slide over to first base to replace him while Trevor Brown assumes the catching duties.

Stanton (side) is not in Friday's lineup against the Braves, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Stanton will miss his third straight game on Friday after sitting out Wednesday's contest against the Rays and then being held out of the lineup Thursday. Manager Don Mattingly said he had "a little soreness" on his right side and with Stanton's line of .173/.287/.373 in May, this rib soreness could contribute to his slump. Stanton's status for Saturday's game is uncertain, and the Marlins will start Cole Gillespie in right field Friday.

Ramirez is 16-for-42 in his last 10 games at Double-A Altoona, bringing his 2016 batting average to .299.

Ramirez hasn't wasted any time to make an impression during his first season at the Double-A level. He currently has Altoona's second best batting average and is one of three players on the squad with at least 20 RBI. Ramirez is rated as one of the Pirates' top prospects, and rightfully so, as he's a rare player that has the ability to hit for both power and average. However, with an exceptional outfield containing Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco, the Pirates have no need to rush Ramirez's development and he'll likely finish 2016 with Altoona. He's missed considerable action, has trouble with his throwing accuracy and is still an overall poor baserunner, despite the stolen bases.

Dickerson has hit five home runs and 16 RBI in 11 games since returning to Triple-A El Paso.

Dickerson's fantastic play following his return from San Diego has resulted in his batting average and slugging percentage shooting up to .411 and .696 respectively. If his dominance at the plate continues, the Padres may very well see the merit in giving Dickerson another shot in the MLB. During his brief eight game appearance with the Padres this season, Dickerson went just 2-for-10 (albeit with a home run). However, San Diego's league worst batting average of .221 and lack of quality outfield depth could justify giving Dickerson another opportunity to prove his value in the show.