MLB Player News

The Dodgers got three home runs from their lineup in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. 

Yasiel Puig, Alex Guerrero and Joc Pederson all hit home runs in the game. Puig hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth, Pederson hit a solo shot in the sixth and Guerrero hit a two-run home run in the ninth. 

Guerrero totaled four RBI in the game and now holds a .429 batting average. Puig is hitting .136 and Pederson is batting .286. 

''He's been hitting since all last spring, all last year — he can hit,'' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said about Guerrero, via the Associated Press. ''Our biggest fear was defensively, how he looked last year, but he's been good all through spring.''

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon went 3 for 4 during Sunday afternoon's 6-5 loss to the Cubs. 

One of Blackmon's hits went for a double, which was in the ninth inning. He hit an RBI single in the game too. 

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter went 2 for 5 from the plate in St. Louis' 7-5 win over the Reds Sunday in 11 innings. 

Carpenter got things going in the fifth inning when he singled home both Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong. Then, with the game tied in the 11th, Carpenter ripped a 3-2 pitch from Kevin Gregg to center for his first home run of the year, driving in Kolten Wong. 

Carpenter is now hitting .300 with five RBI in 20 at-bats this season.

Bryce Harper continued his solid start to the young season, opening the scoring in the Nationals' 4-3, 10-inning victory Sunday with a first-inning home run, his second long ball of the season after going deep on Opening Day. 

Harper, hitting third in the Nats' lineup, greeted Phillies starter Sean O'Sullivan with a deep drive to left. It was Harper's only hit of the game, and he finishes the series hitting .261 with two homers and two RBIs on the year. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen returned to the lineup Sunday against the Brewers, going 2 for 5 with a home run and four RBI in Pittsburgh's 10-2 win.

McCutchen, who pushed his average to .190 on the year, ripped the first pitch he saw from Kyle Lohse in the sixth inning to right for his second homer of the year, driving in Gregory Polanco and Jordy Mercer. He then singled to drive in his fourth RBI and sixth of the seeason.

McCutchen thinks the issue with his knee, which kept him out of the lineup Saturday, is going to be there the rest of the year, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"It's going to be an everyday occurrence for me for who knows how long, but I can battle through it," McCutchen said. "Think about your knee being sore... You can pretty much pinpoint what could bother it." 

After missing four straight games with a hamstring injury, first baseman Brandon Belt will start in Sunday's series finale against the Padres, per the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Belt had been taking part at baseball-related activities at less-than-full speed, in the hopes of returning to the lineup, and his hamstring passed the test. 

Belt returns to a favorable matchup against Padres starter Tyson Ross, against whom he has hit .364 with three RBIs in 11 career at-bats. 

With the Dodgers dealing with nagging injuries to Justin Turner (hand) and Juan Uribe (hamstring), infielder Alex Guerrero will get his first major league start, at third base, Sunday against the Diamondbacks. 

Both Turner and Uribe are not in the Dodgers' starting lineup, turning third base over to the Cuban rookie. A second baseman by trade, Guerrero will shift across the diamond. He has one hit in 12 major-league at-bats, but hit .333 over three minor-league levels in 2014. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is back in the lineup Sunday and batting third in his team's matchup with the Brewers.

McCutchen came out of Friday's game with knee soreness and did not play Saturday. He's 2 for 16 with one home run this season but has extensive experience against Sunday starter Kyle Lohse, batting .317 with two home runs and eight RBI in 41 at-bats.

The Pirates are resting third baseman Josh Harrison Sunday, with Jung Ho Kang making the start at the hot corner. Gregory Polanco is leading off for the Pirates Sunday.

The Pirates are underdogs (+105) against the Brewers Sunday.

The Marlins have scratched outfielder Marcell Ozuna for showing up to the ballpark late and will start outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in Sunday's game against the Rays, the Miami Herald reports.

Ichiro has appeared in all five games for the Marlins this season, going 0 for 4 in his first four appearances before drawing a walk Saturday and getting caught stealing. Ozuna is 5 for 19 but has yet to pick up an extra-base hit.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was forced to leave Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks with left finger stiffness, the team announced.

Turner had his hand slid into when A.J. Pollock tried to reach third. X-rays came back negative and the team is listing him as day to day with the injury.

"I thought it was broken," Turner said to the Orange County Register. "My knuckle was swollen up about an inch right away."