MLB Player News

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt said Saturday that he felt pretty good after taking part in baseball activities at 70 percent effort and that he doesn't feel his hamstring injury while swinging, CSN Bay Area reports.

If Belt wakes up Sunday without having suffered a setback, he could be back in the lineup for his team's game against the Padres. Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that while a Sunday return was possible, Monday was more likely for the first baseman.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of the starting lineup Saturday night against Milwaukee.

McCutchen was removed from Friday's contest late in the ninth inning after attempting to play through left knee soreness, an issue he has been experiencing since spring training. He said he felt something in his knee during his final at-bat, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. McCutchen did not undergo an MRI, but said that his knee is "structurally fine" and will not need a stint on the disabled list, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

McCutchen is hitting .125 (2 for 16) with a home run and two RBI through four games. He will be available to pinch-hit in case of an emergency.

"It is frustrating," McCutchen said of the recurrence. "I've always been the type of player who comes in in tip-top shape, 100 percent ready to go. And it's been a little different for me this year, battling a few things. (In Spring Training) it was more than just the knee, the lower body in general. Now (the knee) seems a little more acute."

The Pirates are underdogs (+105) in Milwaukee, per VegasInsider.com.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen was removed from Friday's game against Milwaukee in the bottom of the ninth inning with left knee soreness, manager Clint Hurdle said, per MLB.com.

McCutchen appeared to have suffered the injury after he hit a grounder to third in the third inning, Hurdle revealed.

"He took himself out after he ran down the line on that grounder, and felt a little something," Hurdle said.

McCutchen finished 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. He was replaced by Andrew Lambo in the bottom half of the ninth. McCutchen's status remains up in the air for Saturday's contest.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton accounted for three RBI in Friday night's 10-9 extra-inning win over the Rays. 

Stanton went 2 for 3 in the game and drew a walk. Stanton was also hit by a pitch in the third inning. 

Stanton hit a two-run double in the fourth inning and later hit an RBI single in the eighth, which put the Marlins up 9-8 at the moment. These were Stanton's first three RBI of the 2015 season.

“Maybe just didn’t get it high enough,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of the pitch Stanton hit for the RBI single. “Looking on the (videoboard) it certainly looked like a good pitch to me. Sometimes you have to give the other guy credit.”

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will miss his third straight game on Friday. 

Belt has been sidelined with a sore groin and was initially listed as questionable for Friday against the Padres. 

Manager Bruce Bochy said that Belt may return to the lineup on Sunday, but Monday is more likely, per MLB.com.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was left out of the starting lineup Friday against the Nationals for the first time in four games this season. Darin Ruf drew the start at first base with left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the hill.

Howard, who is batting .083 (1 for 12) through three games, is a career .224 hitter against lefties. 

Ruf, who made a third straight start Friday (started in left field previous two days), has no hits in seven at-bats this season.

Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau and center fielder Charlie Blackmon were not in the starting lineup Friday against the Cubs. Chicago started left-hander Travis Wood.

Drew Stubbs replaced Blackmon in center field, while Wilin Rosario started at first base for Colorado. 

Blackmon, who bats left-handed, is batting .143 (2 for 14) with one double and no RBI in three games. He also has one run, one walk and six strikeouts.

Morneau, who also bats left-handed, is batting .077 (1 for 13) with one double and no RBI in three games. He has no walks and one strikeout.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, who is hoping to avoid a stint on the disabled list, took 25 swings in the cage on Wednesday, and could be used as a pinch-hitter on Thursday against San Diego, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

Belt has been sidelined since Tuesday with a groin strain.

"I think we got it at the right time," Bochy said. "We did the best thing that could be done (Tuesday) night and pulled him out. Hopefully we'll be able to throw him out there in the next few days."

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton had a very poor day at the plate in the team's 2-0 loss to the Braves on Wednesday.

''You go through spells like that,'' Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. ''We came out of spring training and I thought we were swinging the bats really well. I give the Braves credit for the way they pitched. They pitched really well and shut us down.''

Stanton struck out three times, walking once. His batting average in the early stages of the season is .125. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is dealing with a very mild groin strain and is optimistic he will avoid landing on the DL with the injury, Belt said per CSN Bay Area.

Belt pulled up lame when trying to make a catch in Tuesday's game and was forced to leave with the injury. He is hoping to take some batting practice Wednesday, but doesn't know when he will be able to return yet.