MLB Player News

Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday that center fielder Charlie Blackmon has "embraced the leadoff role and is really evolving, but he's put in the work to do that," MLB.com reports.

Blackmon, who studies video intensely, leads all NL leadoff hitters with five home runs.

"You see his goofy side once in a while, but there's a lot of intelligence behind that goofiness, and tremendous work ethic," Weiss said.

Blackmon has hit .316/.365/.579 with 14 RBI, 14 runs scored and two stolen bases in 95 at-bats coming into Wednesday's doubleheader.

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton made things interesting Wednesday in Washington. His team appeared doomed to a blowout defeat, but he slammed a three-run homer in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 7-5.

Alas, that was the final score and it was Stanton who blew a chance to play hero again. He came up with two on and one out in the ninth against closer Drew Storen and struck out on three swings-and-misses.

The homer was Stanton's seventh of the year - all in the last 19 games.

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler has been dropped to fifth in the order for Wednesday's matchup with the Cardinals.

It's the third straight game in which Soler has been moved down in the order, as he saw his first action leading off Friday before resuming his familiar role in the second slot Saturday. After a day off, he batted cleanup in the team's matchup with a lefty Tuesday.

Soler had hit in one of the top four spots of the lineup in all of his starts this season before batting fifth Wednesday. The move down isn't due to production, as the right fielder is 6 for 17 over the last seven days.

The Cubs are underdogs (+109) against the Cardinals Wednesday.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper launched three home runs-- a career high -- in his first three at-bats, leading his club to a 7-5 victory over Miami on Wednesday afternoon. Ryan Zimmerman was the last Washington player to hit three in game on May 29, 2013 against the Orioles.

Harper uncorked a solo home run to left field in the second inning off Tom Koehler. Harper's second home run was a monster two-run shot that landed in the second deck in right field, giving his club a 4-2 advantage in the third inning. He tacked on another solo home run -- an upper-decker -- off Koehler in the fifth inning to give Washington a three-run lead. He grounded out, but plated a run in his fourth at-bat in the seventh, finishing 3 for 4 with three runs scored and five RBI.

Harper, 22, has six career multi-home run performances. He is the youngest player to hit three homers in a game since Joe Lahoud did so for the Red Sox on June 11, 1969, per ESPN Stats and Info.

Harper is hitting .265/.416/.561 with eight homers, 20 RBI and an MLB-best 26 walks in 28 games. He has 13 career home runs against the Marlins -- more than any other opponent he's faced.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle acknowledged that Andrew McCutchen's sore left knee has impacted his approach on running to first base, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

McCutchen, who is making $10 million this season, voiced his frustration after he was held without a hit in four at-bats during Tuesday's loss to Cincinnati.

"I'm sick and tired of going 0-for-freaking-4. I know I'm better than that," McCutchen said, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I'm getting paid what I'm getting paid because of the way I should be playing. Right now I'm not doing what I should be doing for the money I'm making. ... It's under mediocre right now. It's bad."

McCutchen has been dealing with a sore knee since spring training, and at one point in early April revealed that he's only at "80 percent." He began the year hitting .238 (10 for 42) with two doubles, two homers and 10 RBI over his first 12 games. However, over his last 13 games, the former MVP has hit only .140 (7 for 50) with a triple and three RBI.

After Tuesday's game, he reassured that injury is not the main factor for his issues at the plate.

"I feel good, I feel strong when I'm up there. I feel fine when I'm hitting," McCutchen said. "I can't sit here and say my knee is the reason. I don't believe so. I just believe I’m a little off. ... Once it's going, it ain't gonna stop. While I'm down, get me while I'm down."

Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar hit from the No. 3 position in manager Matt Williams' lineup on Wednesday. It was the first time this season that Escobar hit third in the batting order, as Williams shuffled the order a bit for the matinee matchup against the Marlins.

Escobar continues to hit well in 2015, though he did go hitless in three at-bats on Tuesday.

Shortstop Ian Desmond was moved up to the second spot in the lineup, while Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman returned to their normal spots, batting fourth and fifth respectively on Wednesday. 

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter hit a three-run, game-tying home run in the fifth inning of Tuesday's win over the Cubs. 

Carpenter went 1 for 3 and is hitting .346 this year. He has five home runs and added a fourth RBI later in the game to give him 20 on the season. 

Pirates centerfielder Andrew McCutchen went 0 for 4 on Tuesday to drop his batting average to .185 through 92 at-bats.

McCutchen, the 2013 National League MVP, said after Tuesday's loss to the Reds that he doesn't need time off but avoided answering if he was injured.

“Right now I’m not doing what I should be doing for the money I’m making," McCutchen said. "Right now, it's under mediocre right now ... It's bad and I know I'm better than that."

Justin Turner drove in four of the Dodgers' eight runs in Tuesday's win over Milwaukee. The third baseman went 3 for 4, lifting his average to .333. His three-run home run in the sixth inning put the Dodgers on top to stay. 

Turner now has six homers and 10 RBI. 

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle acknowledged Tuesday that center fielder Andrew McCutchen is picking his spots to run to first base on batted balls to limit the wear on his knee, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

"I don't think it's a concerning area right now," Hurdle said about McCutchen's knee.

"I think Andrew has already figured out some ways to do some different things," Hurdle said of McCutchen handling the discomfort, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I think the more we talk about his physical presence being diminished, I think we're (headed) in the wrong direction."

McCutchen has struggled in the early part of the season while dealing with the health issues. He's hit just .193/.291/.307 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 88 at-bats.