MLB Player News

Pirates slugger Andrew McCutchen has not slugged in his career against Lance Lynn, who starts against his team Friday night for St. Louis.

McCutchen owns a .132 lifetime average (5-for-38) against Lynn with no home runs and just one RBI.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter got the scoring started in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Pirates. Carpenter laced a two-run single into right field, giving St. Louis the early 2-0 advantage. 

Overall, Carpenter went 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored. Carpenter needed a game like this, as he has been struggling at the dish recently. In 10 games (nine starts) this month, Carpenter is batting .200 with four RBI and four runs scored. 

Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen waited until his final at-bat of the game on Thursday to extend his hitting streak. McCutchen led off the ninth with a solo home run, his 11th of the season, but it wasn't enough to avoid the 4-1 loss to the Cardinals.

"It felt good," McCutchen said, per MLB.com. "I'll take it into tomorrow."

With the homer, McCutchen has now hit safely in 16 straight games. He's batting .370 with two home runs and 12 RBI during the 16-game stretch. 

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner is getting the night off on Thursday, as he is being held out of the starting lineup against the Phillies. Turner has managed to stay productive in recent times, as he is batting .278 with a homer and three RBI over his last 10 games.

He is being replaced by Alberto Callaspo at the hot corner on Thursday. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI in Tuesday's win over the Padres. In the process, McCutchen extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.

Over the 14-game stretch, McCutchen has lifted his batting average from .287 to .301, while chipping in 10 RBI in that span. 

Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen pushed his hitting streak to 13 games on Monday against the Padres. He went 1 for 2 with one double, two runs and two walks.

McCutchen is batting .372 (16 for 43) with two home runs, seven doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, 14 walks, nine strikeouts and two stolen bases in his last 13 games.

McCutchen's hitting streak is tied for the longest of his career, per Baseball-Reference.com. He also had a 13-game hit streak in 2009.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter is catching a break in the first game of the Tuesday doubleheader against the host Cubs. He is out of the lineup as Mark Reynolds will man the position instead.

Carpenter has been in a slump. He is hitless in his last two games and has just seven hits in his last 48 at-bats. His .271 average is at its lowest point since the second game of the season.

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler went 2 for 3 in Monday's loss to St. Louis. 

Soler had one third of the Cubs' hits in the shutout loss, and his double was the team's only extra base hit. 

Soler snapped an 11 at bat hitless stretch and matched the number of hits he'd had in his previous five games.

The National League All Star reserves and pitchers were announced on Monday evening, and there was no room for the reigning National League MVP.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was not selected for the All Star team, although he's one of five candidates to take the final spot on the roster in the Final Vote. 

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant made the team as an injury replacement for the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton. Bryant is one of two rookies on the team, along with Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson. 

The Pirates sent two starting pitchers to the All Star team for the first time since 1960. MLB wins leader Gerrit Cole and fellow Pittsburgh starter A.J. Burnett will both be making their first appearance. 

National League reserves are:

Catchers: Yasmani Grandal, Dodgers; Yadier Molina, Cardinals
First basemen: Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers; Anthony Rizzo, Cubs
Second basemen: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies; Joe Panik, Giants
Third basemen: Nolan Arenado, Rockies; Kris Bryant, Cubs
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, Giants
Outfielders: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates; Joc Pederson, Dodgers; A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks; Justin Upton, Padres

National League pitchers are:

Madison Bumgarner, Giants; A.J. Burnett, Pirates; Aroldis Chapman, Reds; RHP: Gerrit Cole, Pirates; Jacob deGrom, Mets; Zack Greinke, Dodgers; Mark Melancon, Pirates; Shelby Miller, Braves; Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies; Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers; Trevor Rosenthal, Cardinals; Max Scherzer, Nationals; Michael Wacha, Cardinals

The five candidates for the Final Vote are:

Johnny Cueto, Reds; Jeurys Familia, Mets; Carlos Martinez, Cardinals; Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers; Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's win over the Giants.

Harper is hitting .414 with 12 hits, six doubles, a home runs and three RBI over his last seven games.