MLB Player News

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's matchup with the Diamondbacks.

Belt left Tuesday's game with a groin injury and was scheduled to undergo an MRI Wednesday. With the first baseman sidelined, catcher Buster Posey will shift to first base and Hector Sanchez will enter the game at catcher.

The Giants will also start Matt Duffy at second base and Justin Maxwell in right field Wednesday, sending Joe Panik and Gregor Blanco to the bench.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg has decided to adjust his outfield for Philadelphia's second game against the Red Sox, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sandberg is going with Ben Revere in center field, Darin Ruf in left field, and Jeff Francoeur in right field, pushing Grady Sizemore and Odubel Herrera to the bench. Ruf will make his season debut after hitting .235 with three home runs and eight RBI in 102 at-bats in 2014.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was forced out of Tuesday's contest against Arizona with a groin strain, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Belt came up lame after trying to catch a popup near the first base line in the bottom of the fourth inning. He lined out in the first and singled in the fourth before limping out of the game. He was replaced by Joaquin Arias.

After the game, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that Belt will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury. Belt is hitting .167 this season. Bochy acknowledged that he will have his Triple-A options on alert because he is lacking depth on the bench, per Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

"I just don't think it's too bad right now in my opinion," Belt said, per the Bay Area News Group.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly stopped short Monday of calling rookie Joc Pederson the team's starting center fielder, but he added, "You're going to see Joc a lot in center field."

"We really like the way Joc goes about his business," Mattingly said, per MLB.com. 

Mattingly added Scott Van Slyke and Andre Ethier are likely going to start in center field the days Pederson is off, per the Los Angeles Times. 

Mattingly said he spoke with Ethier over the weekend about his reserve role. Ethier was hoping to be a starter -- either with the Dodgers or another team.

"Any step can change his whole situation," Mattingly said. "If one guy takes a bad step, turns an ankle, Andre's playing every day."

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 4 from the plate Monday, including a two-run home run, in Pittsburgh's 5-2 loss to the Reds.

McCutchen started 0 for 2 in the game, but rallied late. After a single in the sixth, McCutchen ripped a two-run homer to center field off reliever Kevin Gregg in the eighth inning to tie the game at 2.

"He has a comfort zone here," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's hit some big homers late."

However, Todd Frazier broke the tie in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run shot.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in Washington's 3-1 loss to the Mets Monday. 

Harper was the only National to break through starter Bartolo Colon, taking him to deep right field to lead off the fourth inning with a home run. Harper also singled and struck out in Washington's Opening Day loss.

The Giants Opening Day lineup will go left fielder Norichika Aoki, second baseman Joe Panik, center fielder Angel Pagan, catcher Buster Posey, first baseman Brandon Belt, third baseman Casey McGehee, shortstop Brandon Crawford, right fielder Gregor Blanco and pitcher Madison Bumgarner.

It was uncertain where Aoki would be slotted in the lineup with manager Bruce Bochy experimenting with him leading off during spring training.

Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson drew the start in center field for Monday's season opener against the Padres. He was penciled in to hit seventh against starting pitcher James Shields.

Pederson had a great spring offensively, batting .338 with five doubles, six home runs, 13 RBI and 14 runs in 26 games.

Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta is batting cleanup for Sunday's season opener against the Cubs.

Peralta took just 74 of his 560 at-bats from the fourth spot in the lineup last season but will fill the role in the team's regular-season debut.

The full Cardinals lineup: 3B Matt Carpenter, RF Jason Heyward, LF Matt Holliday, SS Peralta, 1B Matt Adams, C Yadier Molina, 2B Kolten Wong, CF Jon Jay, SP Adam Wainwright.

The Cubs announced the starting lineup for Sunday's season opener against the Cardinals, with right fielder Jorge Soler slotted into the second spot of the lineup.

Soler spent most of his brief action in 2014 batting fourth or fifth, but he'll slot in between center fielder Dexter Fowler and first baseman Anthony Rizzo Sunday.

The full Cubs lineup Sunday: CF Fowler, RF Soler, 1B Rizzo, SS Starlin Castro, LF Chris Coghlan, 3B Mike Olt, C David Ross, SP Jon Lester, 2B Tommy La Stella.

Ross draws the start at catcher with former Red Sox teammate Lester on the mound. Manager Joe Maddon will bat the pitcher eighth, Olt and La Stella join Rizzo and Castro in the infield for the team's first game, with Arismendy Alcantara set to come off the bench.