MLB Player News

Harper was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, and a two-run home run in the Nationals' win over Miami on Friday night.

Harper is hitting just .278, albeit with 11 home runs and 29 RBI on the season, but he sports a ridiculous .456 OBP as teams routinely pitch around him - he has walked 37 times in just 35 games. It's pretty easy to understand why, as his seventh-inning home run in this one broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the Nationals to a win.

McCutchen went 3-for-5 with a run scored and a two-run home run in a losing effort against the Cubs on Friday afternoon.

The home run, his eighth of the season, came with two outs in the ninth inning, proving to be too little, too late. However McCutchen, who got off to a very sluggish start, now has his average up to a steadily improving .261 and is showing clear signs of breaking out. An offensive explosion could very well be imminent for the extremely talented center fielder.

Winker, 22, is slashing .303/.405/.394 with two home runs and 17 RBI through 30 games for Triple-A Louisville.

Perhaps most impressively, Winker has more walks (20) than strikeouts (14). On the downside, his power has been almost non-existent after he hit 13 home runs in 123 games at Double-A last year, but there's still plenty of time for him to develop that aspect of his game.

Ruf was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Ruf had been getting somewhat consistent playing time on the short side of a platoon at first base with Ryan Howard, but he did nothing to warrant a spot on the roster, batting a mere .158 with three RBI on the season. He'll head to the minors to try and get back on track at the plate. The Phillies called up first baseman Tommy Joseph from Triple-A to take his spot on the roster.

Belt (illness) is back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.

An illness kept Belt out of the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Blue Jays, but he was able to enter the game as a pinch hitter and log two at-bats. He'll reclaim his spot at first base Thursday and he'll bat fifth in the order against Arizona ace Zack Greinke.

Belt (illness) was held out of the lineup but entered Wednesday's game in the ninth. He went 0-for-2 with a run scored in the extra-inning win over the Blue Jays.

Belt had a stomach virus that kept him out of the lineup, but the fact that he entered the game and played four innings bodes well for his chances to return Thursday. Make sure to check back once manager Bruce Bochy releases his lineup this afternoon to see if Belt is healthy enough to start.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a homer, his second of the season, three RBI and three runs in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

The blast, into the right-field bullpen, was Blackmon's 500th career hit. Since returning on April 29 from a short stint on the DL, the outfielder is 17-for-51 (.333) with two homers, seven RBI and nine runs. Of course the team and Blackmon would never admit to it, but it's hard not to associate his lack of aggressiveness on the bases (2-for-3) with the turf-toe injury he is rebounding from. The 29-year-old has average 35-plus steals over the past two seasons and he needs to start running for owners to get a full return on his draft-day value.

Ruf could be sent to Triple-A if the Phillies opt to promote Tommy Joseph from the minors soon, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Manager Pete Mackanin confirmed Wednesday that the Phillies have discussed promoting Joseph. He would take Ruf's spot in a platoon at first base with Ryan Howard. Ruf, who has an option left, has hit just .161/.210/.196 this season and has yet to homer. Perhaps some time in the minors with consistent playing time will get his bat going again.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk Wednesday against the Reds.

He's rounding into form after dealing with an early slump, with hits in six consecutive games lifting his average from .221 to .248 and his OPS back over the .800 mark. By the time the dust settles on this season, McCutchen should be sporting the numbers we've come to expect from him -- 20-plus homers and an average over .300 with plenty of counting stats. However, his steal totals have declined in each of the last two seasons, and as he approaches his 30th birthday (it's in October), McCutchen seems not to be a reliable source of speed anymore.

Harper went 2-for-3 with a base on balls and was caught stealing in Wednesday's win over Detroit.

The slugger's now been walked in seven consecutive games, with a Barry Bonds-esque 18 free passes in that span. It's no coincidence that Harper has only one RBI in that time; teams are pitching around the 23-year-old -- who's hitting .385/.645/.923 (yes, that's the slugging percentage) with runners in scoring position -- every time he comes up with men on base. That strategy will certainly artificially deflate his RBI opportunities, but Harper's going to rack up the stats regardless, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him try more steals to make teams pay for walking him. At least the Nats have moved the white-hot Daniel Murphy to the cleanup spot behind him, which should help -- it's hard to walk a guy when the next guy up is a .400 hitter. Harper's fantasy owners should, however, remain vigilant for his upcoming one-game suspension (assuming he loses his appeal).