MLB Player News

I've been slow to embrace the Marlins' Marcell Ozuna, in part because his plate discipline is horrible.

But that doesn't stop him from hitting the ball a long way when he does make contact. His 411-foot blast Thursday gave him five home runs in his last 14 games and 11 on the season.

He wouldn't be the first power hitter to succeed in spite of a low walk rate. Adam Jones is just one notable example. And while Ozuna certainly isn't that good, he's not giving anyone the impression he is. His poor plate discipline is reflected in his batting average, which entered play Thursday at a modest .274.

As for the power, Ozuna had several 20 homer seasons in the minors, which are rarer than you might think outside of the California League and the Pacific Coast League, so he may well have the capacity for 30 as he enters his mid-20s.

Since what he's doing in terms of batting average isn't so far-fetched either, yeah, maybe he really is this good. I'd prefer him in Rotisserie leagues to Head-to-Head -- and wouldn't trust him as much more than a fourth outfielder even there -- but he deserves a longer leash going forward.

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf will not begin baseball activities until early next week, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Ruf is dealing with wrist and knee issues, and still has some swelling in his leg. Ruf was placed on the Triple-A disabled list Thursday. He's received just 10 at-bats in the majors this season.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton provided a key late home run Thursday, in an 11-6 win over the Rays.

Stanton clubbed a two-run home run in the seventh inning, to extend a Marlins lead to 8-5. Though the homer didn't give the Marlins a lead, it provided the ultimate winning margin, though the team would add on in the late innings to make it comfortable. He finished the game 2 for 5 with one run scored and two driven in.

Stanton is off to the best start of his career, batting .314/.407/.614 with a National-League-best 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 60 games. 

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna sparked a massive offensive performance Thursday, in an 11-6 win over the Rays.

Ozuna led a well-rounded effort for the Marlins, as he drove in four runs in the win. He was 3 for 5, and drove in a run with each hit, including two on a ninth-inning home run, his 11th of the season.

Ozuna is now hitting .274/.319/.466 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 58 games this season, already having surpassed his totals in both categories from his rookie year, in 12 fewer games. 

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf was placed on the disabled list at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in recent days, after he suffered wrist and knee injuries.

Ruf bruised his right knee and sprained his left wrist after running into a wall Tuesday. According to MLB.com, it is not yet known how long he is expected to be out, but he did need stitches for the knee injury. 

Bruce Bochy has announced that Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will visit a doctor Friday to have two pins removed from his fractured left thumb, MLB.com has reported.

Bochy added that the next 10 days to two weeks will be critical in determining when Belt can begin a rehab stint.

Belt sustained his injury in mid-May after being hit on the hand by a pitch.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will not set a timetable for his recovery from thumb surgery, according to MASN.

Harper said he would be back when he feels healthy. Early Thursday, manager Matt Williams said he was hoping to get Harper back by July 1. Harper did add that he's "feeling better every day" during his rehab.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter went 5 for 5 with one walk, two doubles, two RBI and two runs in his team's 5-2, 11-inning win over the Royals Wednesday.

Carpenter has racked up multiple hits in six of his last eight games, and Wednesday's hit explosion gives him a batting average over .300 for the first time since early April. He has hit .307/.395/.395 with one home run and 20 RBI in 238 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 3-2 loss to the Padres Wednesday.

McCutchen cut the Padres' lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, but they got the run back in the bottom half of the inning. The homer was McCutchen's second homer in four June games after failing to record a single home run in May. He has hit .299/.420/.472 with six home runs, 26 RBI and seven stolen bases in 214 at-bats.

The Nationals are targeting July 1 as a potential return date for injured outfielder Bryce Harper, NatsInsider.com reports.

"We don’t know yet, but I’d like to see him back by the 1st of July," manager Matt Williams said Wednesday. "I think that would be a good target, but we just don’t know. It depends on how everything else goes."

Harper has begun preliminary on-field work the past two days as he recovers from a torn ligament in his thumb suffered in late April. He has yet to receive clearance to catch the ball or take swings.