MLB Player News

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 4-1 loss to the Brewers Wednesday.

Ozuna delivered his opposite-field blast in the seventh inning, but it was all the offense the Marlins would muster in the game. It was his third straight game with a home run, and the outfielder is 12 for 24 in his last six games. Ozuna has hit .270/.319/.460 with 22 home runs and 83 RBI in 522 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 4 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 6-3 win over the Phillies Wednesday.

McCutchen's home run was an inside-the-park job, as he smacked the ball to the deepest part of the field and watched it bounce off the angled wall and away from the pursuing fielder. McCutchen was able to motor across home plate with a stand-up home run. He has hit .311/.403/.539 with 23 home runs, 75 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 492 at-bats.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will see a concussion doctor in Pittsburgh Wednesday, and the team hopes he'll be fully cleared to resume baseball activities, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt has been sidelined since Aug. 6 after taking a ball to the face during warmups. He has hit .237/.296/.446 with 11 home runs and 24 RBI in 186 at-bats.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 6-2 defeat against the Braves Wednesday.

Harper's home run ended up being inconsequential to the outcome of the game, as he took Braves closer Craig Kimbrel deep in the ninth inning to cut the lead to four before Kimbrel finished off the win. Harper has hit .266/.337/.424 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI in 304 at-bats.

The Marlins plan to offer outfielder Giancarlo Stanton the most lucrative contract in franchise history this offseason, USA Today reports.

"He's the leader of this franchise,'' team president David Samson said. "We always knew the talent he had, but what he's done this year, playing every day, he's the definition of a game-changer. We call him a no-food player. A no-bathroom player. When he comes to the plate, nobody leaves their seat. There's no question he's the MVP of this league.''

Stanton leads the National League with 37 home runs and 105 RBI. He said he's interested to hear the Marlins' plans this winter.

The Cubs left Jorge Soler out of the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Pirates. Ryan Kalish was listed as the team's starting right fielder.

Soler had started the last five games, and had started nine of the 11 games on the Cubs' schedule since his Aug. 27 major league debut.

The Marlins got a big contribution from outfielder Marcell Ozuna Friday, as he led the way in an 11-3 win over the Braves.

Ozuna had four hits in five trips to the plate Friday, including a pair of doubles en route to a four-RBI game. He scored twice as well, while avoiding a strikeout for the first time in six games.

Ozuna has been inconsistent recently, with three multi-hit games and four hitless performances over his last seven games. He is hitting .264/.313/.441 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI over 137 games in his first full season. 

The most notable part of Joc Pederson's first major-league start Tuesday is that it came with this comment from manager Don Mattingly:

"The one thing about Joc that everyone in the organization is pretty much in concert with is, this guy is our best defensive center fielder," Mattingly told the Los Angeles Times. "He's probably the only true center fielder we have at this point."

Pederson was filling in for a slumping Yasiel Puig then, but sure enough, even with Puig's return to the lineup, there he was again in center field Wednesday against the Nationals. Puig had moved over to right.

It's a big deal because, as I pointed out in my latest post to the Fantasy Baseball Today blog, Pederson was a George Springer-level offensive force at Triple-A Albuquerque prior to his promotion, batting .303 with 33 homers, 30 steals and a 1.017 OPS in 445 at-bats. Hitter-friendly league or not, those numbers are intimidating.

If his glove keeps him in the lineup, he could end up making a big contribution in Fantasy. Certainly in five-outfielder leagues, he's well worth a flier.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 4-3 loss to the Mets Wednesday.

After struggling at the end of August, Stanton's bat has heated up with the turn of the calendar, and he's now homered in three straight games to open the month. He has hit .295/.402/.566 with 36 home runs, 102 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 512 at-bats.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 4 with a double and a two-run home run in his team's 8-6 loss to the Mets Tuesday.

Stanton has homered in two straight games against the Mets to increase his National League HR lead to five blasts. He has hit .293/.401/.561 with 35 home runs, 101 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 508 at-bats, and with no one running away with the NL batting title, the outfielder has an outside shot at chasing a Triple Crown with a big September.