MLB Player News

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 4-3 loss to the Brewers Sunday.

McCutchen brought his team to within one run with his ninth-inning blast, but it wasn't enough to avoid taking a loss. The outfielder has hit .305/.403/.533 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 433 at-bats.

Marlins emerging slugger Marcell Ozuna came up in the ninth inning Friday night in Colorado with the bases loaded and unloaded them.

Ozuna blasted one 428 feet to complete the rout. He has not only homered in three straight games, but he also added two singles and scored twice against the Rockies. He has 10 RBI in the last four games to give him 70 on the year and an outside shot at 100 this season.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt said he expects to be back before the end of the season, according to 95.7 The Game.

Belt will be re-evaluated in three weeks. He's been out since August 6 due to concussion-related issues. Belt has hit .237/.296/.446 over 186 at-bats. 

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper put together a three-hit game Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, his second since returning from the disabled list, the Washington Post reports.

Harper sparked the team's game-winning rally in the ninth inning with his third single of the game, and manager Matt Williams said how he got the hit was the most encouraging part of the performance.

"He hit the ball back through the middle [Wednesday], which is really important for him," Williams said.

Harper has struggled to find his power swing this season thanks to a thumb injury, but he is hitting .282 with a .375 on-base percentage since the All-Star break. Impressed by his approach Wednesday, Williams believes the power will follow.

"But if he stays through the middle like that, he's going to get a lot of hits, and I feel if he trusts himself to do that, the home runs will come," Williams said. "They will come. They'll come on hanging breaking balls and change-ups up in the zone, if he can stay middle of the diamond. And he's working hard on that. So I'm proud of his approach."

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will remain sidelined for at least two or three more weeks, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt will be held out of baseball activities for the next few weeks in order to rest, per orders from the doctor. He is attempting to return from a concussion.

Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna has gone from cold to hot. He slammed three hits against visiting Texas on Wednesday to make him 9 for 23 in the last five games after a 0-for-15 slide.

Ozuna homered for the second straight game, a 398-foot shot to left in the ninth inning. He had already doubled and scored in the fourth and singled. He has a stat line .261/.316/.440 stat line on the year with 17 home runs and 63 RBI.

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna went 2 for 5 with a solo home run in his team's 4-3 win over the Rangers Tuesday.

Ozuna tied the game up at 1-1 with his fourth-inning blast, which was his first home run since July 27. He has hit .257/.312/.428 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI in 444 at-bats.

The Pirates activated outfielder Andrew McCutchen from the disabled list Tuesday, as he has recovered from a fractured rib.

McCutchen has been out since Aug. 3, but has been able to hit and run in recent days. It is not clear whether he is expected to need extra time off moving forward as he manages the fracture, but he is in the starting lineup, batting third Tuesday against the Braves. 

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Monday he is optimistic outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who is on the disabled list due to a fractured rib, can "rejoin" the active roster Tuesday against the Braves, according to MLB.com. Tuesday is the first day McCutchen is eligible to come off the disabled list.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton parked his 32nd home run during a 10-3 win Sunday against the Diamondbacks. He finished 2 for 4 with four RBI, two runs and one walk.

Stanton didn't waste any time getting the Marlins an early lead, as he parked a three-run homer off Josh Collmenter with no outs in the first inning. Stanton added another RBI on a single off Randall Delgado in the seventh inning.

Stanton has homered nine times in his last 18 games. He is batting .306 with a .429 on-base percentage, .758 slugging percentage, 1.187 OPS, one double, 12 runs, 14 walks and 17 RBI in that span.