MLB Player News

Giants left fielder Nori Aoki is not in the lineup for Sunday night's game. 

Aoki was hit in the leg by a pitch in Saturday' game and had to leave the contest.

Brandon Belt moved from first base to left field to replace Aoki. Buster Posey moved from catcher to first to cover for Belt's absence.  

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run to help key a nine-run first inning in Sunday's win over Pittsburgh. 

Harper went 1 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to five games. He's 8 for his last 18. 

Harper hit his second home run in as many days and third in the last five games. He has 24 home runs and 57 RBI.  

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner went deep for the second straight game on Saturday, belting a solo home run in the first inning of the eventual 6-2 loss to the Giants. After belting two home runs on Friday, Turner collected his eighth of the season on Saturday, his only hit of the game.

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson wasted little time in giving his team a run in Saturday's loss to the Giants. Pederson blasted a solo home run with one out in the first inning. It would be Pederson's only hit of the game, though he did walk twice.

The young center fielder now has 18 home runs on the year, though Saturday's was his first since hitting four in a row at the beginning of June. He's batting .292 over his last eight games for the Dodgers.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt connected for a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Dodgers. Belt mashed his ninth home run of the season in the sixth inning with his team already up 4-2. 

Belt is trying to pick things up at the plate in what has been a dreadful month of June. Over his last 10 games, Belt is hitting just .121 (4 for 33) with 11 strikeouts and three walks.

Outfielder Charlie Blackmon was a spark at the top of the lineup for the Rockies, driving in three runs to power Colorado to a victory over the Brewers on Saturday. 

Blackmon was 2-for-4 on the day, connecting for his ninth homer of the season in the second inning to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead. He added an RBI single in the seventh to help extend the lead to 5-1. 

Blackmon has hits in eight of his last 10 games to raise his average to .271 on the season. 

Every Nationals player not named Max Scherzer took a back seat in terms of heroism Saturday against Pittsburgh, but Bryce Harper was certainly second on the list.

Harper returned to the lineup after missing a game with a hamstring ailment and picked up where he left off. He blasted a solo home run in the fourth to open the scoring, then added an RBI single before scoring in the sixth.

Bryce Harper will return to the Nationals' lineup for Saturday's game. 

Harper injured his hamstring during Thursday's game and missed Friday's contest. Harper returns to right field, battig fourth in the lineup. 

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner connected for his seventh home run of the season in Friday's loss to the Giants. Turner's solo home run came in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the score to 9-4, but it wasn't enough to avoid the defeat.

Turner also doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored two runs, as he lifted his batting average up to .329 on the year. 

In eight games since returning from a minor knee injury, Turner is batting .435 (10 for 23) with two home runs and five RBI.

Nationals manager Matt Williams said outfielder Bryce Harper underwent physical therapy for his injured hamstring on Friday, according to The Washington Post. 

Harper did not take any swings but did see a doctor and take part in some leg exercises. He will be re-evaluated on Saturday. Harper did not play in Friday's 4-1 win over the Pirates.

Harper is considered day-to-day after injuring his left hamstring while making a throw from the outfield on Thursday. The injury was previously described as "mild." 

"A good work day for him," Williams said. 

Herper is hitting .344/.476/.720 this season.