MLB Player News

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton connected for his first spring home run Wednesday against the Nationals. It was also his first home run since getting hit in the face by a pitch in September.

Stanton doubled in the first inning against Doug Fister, had an RBI single in the third inning that made it 2-0 and tied the score 3-3 when he homered leading off the sixth inning against Casey Janssen.

"Today was a good day, obviously," Stanton said, per the Associated Press.

Stanton is batting .286 (6 for 21) with two doubles, three walks, six RBI and one run in nine spring games.

"He looks great," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He looks confident. His swings look good."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of the lineup for the fifth straight Grapefruit League game on Wednesday due to lower body soreness, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

McCutchen is taking a cautious approach in his recovery, and has vowed not to return until he's 100 percent. He is hitting .167 (2 for 12) with one double, one RBI, one walk and one run in five spring training games.

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson is in a good position in the middle of spring training. The young outfielder is getting close to locking up the starting role in center field when the season begins, reports MLB.com.

"We haven't made any decision yet on who's going to play where, but we do like the way things are going for Joc," said manager Don Mattingly, who started Pederson on Tuesday along with outfielders Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but Pederson, who went 0 for 3 Tuesday, has the eye of Mattingly.

"We're still competing, but obviously we like what we see," Mattingly said. "We look at the process as much as hitting .409 [Pederson's average coming into Tuesday]. How he's working, how he's dealing with it all. I was talking to him today about having good at-bats and taking that into the season."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of the lineup again on Tuesday due to lower body soreness, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. McCutchen has been sidelined since Thursday due to the issue, and has vowed not to return until he's 100 percent. He took part in batting practice and did some other work in the morning.

"Taking it slow, no point in rushing it," McCutchen said. "I'm just doing standard stuff and taking my time. It's better safe than sorry.

"I'm fine. I can do that stuff," McCutchen said. "I'm going out and not feeling any type of hindrance. Until it gets out of the system I'm going to take it day by day."

McCutchen is hitting .167 (2 for 12) with one double, one RBI, one walk and one run in five spring training games.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen doesn't want to push things too hard too fast. The former league MVP has been sidelined by a lower body injury for the last two days and wants to get right before getting back on the field, reports MLB.com.

"I've just been trying to get my legs under me," McCutchen said. "When you get back to baseball stuff after all the offseason workouts, it just takes a little time. I don't want to get back out there until I'm 100 percent."

McCutchen will take his time to get back on the field and is in no rush.

"We're dealing with him day to day," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's down again [Sunday], we have the day off [Monday] and we'll re-evaluate on Tuesday. I think we're in a good place with him."

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon is struggling at the plate this spring, going just 1 for 8 so far. Even though he missed Wednesday's game with an abdominal injury, Blackmon wants to show more discipline at the plate and wait on pitches, reports MLB.com.

"I'm trying to see a lot of pitches," Blackmon said. "The other day, I took a 2-0 pitch on purpose [Friday while facing White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana, against whom he singled earlier in the game]. I want to be comfortable hitting later in the count, deeper in the count, with more strikes. In the season, if I get a 2-0 pitch over the plate, I'm going to try to hit it real hard. I'm not going to be trying to extend the at-bat."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen won't be in the lineup Saturday and Sunday due to lower body soreness. McCutchen was scratched Friday with the same ailment , and told reporters that he would be available to play had it been a regular season game, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen was scratched from Friday's spring lineup against the Orioles due to lower body soreness.

McCutchen, who has made the All-Star team four straight seasons, is off to a slow start this spring. He is batting .167 (2 for 12) with one double, one RBI, one walk and one run in five spring games.

Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna is off to a 1-for-12 start this spring, but manager Mike Redmond isn't worried. "It's too early to get concerned about 10, 12 at-bats," Redmond told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Ozuna also struggled mightily last year in spring training, per the paper, but ended up batting .269 with 23 homers and 85 RBI in his first full season in the majors.

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, who has been slowed by an abdominal injury, will make his spring debut Wednesday against the Mariners, per The Denver Post.

Blackmon indicated that the abdominal strain only hurt when he swung a bat, but that most of the pain is now gone.