MLB Player News

Carpenter went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and a strikeout Monday against the Brewers.

The 30-year-old third baseman recorded his first multi-hit effort since May 19, and has gone 11-for-38 (.289) over the past 10 games. The Cardinals need him to produce a bit more at the top of the lineup, but perhaps this four-hit game (a season-high mark for him) might be what he needs to get back on track.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of runs scored in the Giants' loss to the Braves on Monday.

Although he's been productive all season as the Giants' regular first baseman, Belt's homer Monday was his first since May 4 in Cincinnati. For the season, he's now hitting .294/.413/.488 with five homers, 25 RBI and a 35:35 BB:K, and Belt should continue to see plenty of chances to deliver as a run producer working from the middle-third of the San Francisco lineup.

Stanton (side) remains out of the lineup Monday against the Pirates, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Stanton will effectively miss his sixth straight contest, as Cole Gillespie will be called upon to man right field in his stead. Although Stanton was able to take batting practice Sunday and expects to be available during this series, he'll have to wait at least another day to return to the starting lineup. That being said, he may be available to pinch hit in Mondays's contest, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.

Stanton (side) expects to return to the Marlins' lineup during the team's upcoming series with the Pirates, MLB.com reports.

He once again got in some batting practice prior to Sunday's game while adding some drills on the field, and appears to be on the verge of returning to the lineup. Meanwhile, some further details of the injury have emerged as Stanton indicated he initially got hurt in a collision with Marcell Ozuna on May 15 and aggravated the injury making a throw Tuesday against the Rays. Stanton will return with a .214/.326/.481 line with 12 home runs and 26 RBI through 43 games.

Ozuna stayed hot in Sunday's win over the Braves, finishing 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and three runs scored.

The 25-year-old has been on fire of late, as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games and slugged his third homer of that stretch. Ozuna is also batting .344 on the season and has already equaled his home run total from all of last year, putting him firmly on track for a career year if he can keep it up.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Rangers on Sunday.

The center fielder continues to struggle this season with a career-low .803 OPS in 194 at-bats, but he seems to be figuring this out of late. McCutchen has hit safely in nine of the past 11 games, and even though he's hit a mere .244 over that span, the fact that he's making contact suggests his numbers should improve sooner than later.

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.