MLB Player News

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 4 with a walk and a three-run home run in his team's 8-6 win over the Marlins Saturday.

McCutchen is in the middle of a fantastic June performance, and he's rattled off seven straight games with two hits in each. He's smacked seven of his 11 home runs this month as well. McCutchen has hit .323/.434/.554 with 41 RBI and eight stolen bases in 251 at-bats.

Dodgers infielder Justin Turner is not in the starting lineup Saturday as he continues to deal with a claf injury.

Turner wasn't in the starting lineup Friday either but did manage a pinch-hit RBI single in his team's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.. He may be used as a pinch hitter later in Saturday's game as well.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will pick up a bat and get in some work this week, according to The Washington Post. 

Harper plans to take some light swings and play catch. It will be the first time he's been able to do either since his thumb surgery. Harper will not take part in batting practice yet. The team wants to ease Harper in slowly. 

Harper has not played since April 25 due to thumb surgery. He hit .289 over 83 at-bats prior to the injury.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton clubbed his 18th home run Friday.

Stanton stepped to the plate in the third inning, and wasted no time getting to work. He belted a 90 mph fastball from Jeff Locke on the first pitch he saw during the at-bat. He also singled, doubled and walked during the game. Stanton finished 3 for 5, with one run and one RBI.

Stanton is hitting .305/.399/.598 over 249 at-bats.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt took dry swings prior to Friday's game against the Rockies, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Belt continues to recover from a fractured thumb and is expected to increase his workload moving forward. 

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was held out of the starting lineup Friday against Arizona because of calf tightness, MLB.com reports. Turner owns a .285/.338/.401 slash line with three homers and 17 RBI in 137 at-bats this season. His status remains uncertain for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has taken advantage of increased playing time with a run of multi-hit games.

Turner has smacked two hits in five of the last six games he's played with four runs and three RBI. The result is an average that has increased from .252 to a season-high .285 and a peaked-out on-base percentage of .338 and slugging percentage of .401.

Marlins rookie outfielder Marcell Ozuna is still striking out like crazy, but he has certainly been productuve when he does make contact.

Ozuna has fanned at least once in every game since May 2. His strikeout total in nine games since then is 16, but yet he is 12 for 39 in June with two home runs, six RBI and six runs.

His stat line on the year is .266/.310/.441. He's on pace to drive in 100 runs this season.

Rockies right fielder Charlie Blackmon had not had a hit since June 7 entering play Thursday. He sure busted out in a big way against Atlanta.

Blackmon cut loose from his slump with a solo home run in the third and added two doubles, including a two-RBI job in the eighth that capped the rout. The leadoff hitter now has 12 homers and 43 RBI on the season.

A week after claiming minor league outfielder Darin Ruf avoided any breaks or fractures in his right knee or left wrist following an outfield collision on June 2, the Phillies have announced that he indeed has a small fracture in the wrist.

General manager Ruben Amaro, however, told the Philadelphia Daily News that the diagnosis does not change the timetable of Ruf's eventual return to baseball activities. The team has yet to pinpoint a return date.