MLB Player News

Don Mattingly has declared that Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner should be acivated off the disabled list when eligible on Aug. 12, per the Orange County Register.

Turner, who has been sidelined since July 27 with a skin infection, has yet to be cleared for baseball activities.

He has been one of the surprises of the National League this season in earning the starting position and compiling a slash line of .323/.387/.563.

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon went 4 for 6 at the plate with one RBI during Monday's 8-7 loss to the Mariners. He also scored one run.

Prior to his four-hit game Monday, Blackmon was hitting .313 with four doubles and three RBI in his last 13 games.

Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes went 3 for 5 with a season-high three doubles in Monday's win over Miami. 

Cespedes drove in four runs, the most RBI he's had in a game since driving in six on April 19. 

Cespedes was 1 for 7 as a Met prior to Monday's outburst. 

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton will not be able to return during the initial 4-6 week timetable, reports the Miami Herald.

Stanton is still experiencing discomfort when he swings a bat. He has been out since June 27 with a broken bone in his hand.

Giants 1B Brandon Belt had a big night at the plate in the 9-7 win over the Rangers. The Texas-native went 2 for 4 with a pair of solo home runs in the extra-innings victory.

Belt bookended the Giants' scoring on Saturday. He got the Giants on the board with a solo home run in the third inning, cutting the Rangers' lead to one. Then, after the Giants took a 9-8 lead in the 11th, he delivered his second solo dinger of the night, giving him 12 homers on the year.

Both of Belt's home runs on Saturday came off of left-handers--he had not homered off of a southpaw this season prior to Saturday. 

After Saturday's performance, Belt is batting .306 with three home runs and nine home runs over his past 10 games.

Slumping Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson will sit for the second straight game Saturday against the Angels. It also marks his second consecutive benching against a left-hander.

Pederson, who is 17-for-73 against southpaws this season, has one multi-hit game since July 10 and has just 11 hits in his last 58 at-bats.

Matt Williams expressed anger at Nationals slugger Bryce Harper after the latter was ejected for the third time this season Friday night for blowing up at umpire Jerry Meals.

Washington could have used Harper in a one-run, extra-inning defeat.

"I want him to stay in every game," Williams told MASNSports.com. "We've talked about it. We'll talk about it again."

Harper defended himself. "I was sticking up for my team and myself at the same time," he said. "(Meals) was bad all night."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen smacked his 15th home run of the season during Friday's 5-4 win over the Reds.

The solo shot was his only hit in four at-bats during the game. Over his last nine games, McCutchen is hitting .324 with three home runs and nine RBI.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run, giving the Cards an early 1-0 lead over the Rockies. Carpenter would finish the game going 2 for 4 with a double and his 13th dinger of the year.

Carpenter now has three homers in his last two games.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was ejected from Friday's loss to the Mets after arguing a strike three call during the top of the 11th inning.

Harper, who went 0 for 5, was not pleased to be called out looking and began to argue with the home plate umpire, who quickly tossed him from the game.

The hitless performance snapped an eight-game hitting streak for Harper. Over that stretch, he hit .379 with 11 hits, three doubles, two home runs and four RBI.