MLB Player News

Cardinals second baseman Matt Carpenter is not in the team's starting lineup Tuesday against the Brewers.

Carpenter will be replaced at second by Kolten Wong. David Freese will take Wong's normal spot at third. Carpenter is hitting .312/.383/.474 in 481 at-bats. 

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton clubbed his 15th home run Monday against the Dodgers. 

Stanton added the the team's lead in the eighth inning, hitting a solo shot off Chris Withrow. He also added a single, finishing the game 2 for 4. He's hitting .241/.353/.452 in 294 at-bats. 

The Marlins transferred outfielder Marcell Ozuna (thumb) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list Monday. Ozuna is out for the season after having thumb surgery.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter, who leads the NL with 41 doubles, is close to becoming the first St. Louis player to reach 50 doubles since Albert Pujols had 51 in 2004 and first to lead the league since Pujols had 51 in 2003.

"That would be great," Carpenter said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It’s not something I’m thinking about because you can’t think about stuff like that. But if that would happen, that would be a cool thing."

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon recorded a two-hit game in Sunday's loss to Baltimore.

Blackmon finished 2 for 4 with a single, a double, a run scored, an RBI and his fifth stolen base in the losing effort. Blackmon is hitting .259/.286/.417 in 108 at-bats.

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf connected for a solo home run Sunday against the Dodgers. It was his eighth home run and second in four games.

Ruf, who walked once Sunday, is batting .236 (13 for 55) with six home runs and nine RBI in 16 August games.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton hopes Saturday's two-run homer off Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain -- his first home run in a span of 59 at-bats -- sparks his offensive game.

"It's not going to come overnight, when you're that far out of whack," Stanton said, per MLB.com. "It's a process. I don't have too long, but I have a few weeks to turn it around."

Stanton has been working with interim hitting coach John Pierson on a number of different drills. Stanton is working on staying back and letting the pitch arrive rather then reach for it. One objective is also to create more backspin on the baseball.

"It's a little better," he said. "I'm getting more backspin, my normal backspin, like I should have. Before I was topspinning things and cutting my swing off. That's the main focus now, just to backspin the ball."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper returned to the starting lineup Sunday against the Braves after having to start Saturday's 15-inning game on the bench because of a triceps contusion. Harper came off the bench in the ninth inning Saturday and finished out the game, going 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Harper is having a down month in August, batting .184 (9 for 49) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI in 14 games.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer during Saturday's 6-4 loss against the Giants. It was his first home run in 16 games.

Stanton doesn't have a multi-hit game in his last 16 starts. He's batting .150 (9 for 60) with one home run, two doubles, four RBI, nine runs, 10 walks and 21 strikeouts in that span.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was scratched from Saturday's lineup against the Braves, after being hit by pitches twice in Friday's game. Harper has been diagnosed with a contusion on his left triceps and was unable to get loose during batting practice. He is considered day to day.