MLB Player News

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and a run scored during Thursday's 12-8 loss to the Dodgers.

Blackmon doubled in his first at-bat and later added a two-run triple, with another base hit sandwiched in between. He came in with just two hits in his last 17 at-bats, but he's a much stronger hitter at home and displayed his affinity for Coors Field once again in this one. Blackmon will face a tough matchup in the second game of the series against Hyun-Jin Ryu on Friday.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Mets.

Harper took Zack Wheeler deep in the sixth frame for his 14th homer of the season. Though he has a disappointing .465 slugging percentage through 353 plate appearances, he now has four extra-base hits in his last six starts. It's worth noting that all of that damage has come with the Phillies at home, where Harper has hit significantly better to this point in the campaign.

Dickerson is not in Thursday's lineup against the Diamondbacks, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Dickerson has started six straight games since joining the Giants last week, slashing .429/.500/.857 with one home run, 10 RBI and a stolen base during that stretch. In his absence, Tyler Austin is starting in the outfield and hitting third.

Manager AJ Hinch said Alvarez (knee) was removed from Thursday's game against the Pirates for precautionary reasons, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was removed from Thursday's game with left knee discomfort after playing three innings in left field. While it doesn't sound like the young slugger is dealing with anything overly serious, the Astros sent him for tests to be sure, per Rome, while Hinch noted that he would probably give Alvarez a "day or two off" to be safe.

Ohtani went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored Wednesday in the Angels' 5-1 win over the Reds.

Ohtani's final hit of the day proved to be the most pivotal, as his single off Raisel Iglesias in the bottom of the eighth put Mike Trout in position for the go-ahead run. Even as Ohtani continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, the Angels haven't asked him to tone down his aggressive on the bases -- the stolen base was his fourth in 43 games this season. With Los Angeles wrapping up its first-half schedule with 11 games in 11 days -- all in American League parks -- Ohtani shouldn't be in danger of sitting out more than a game or two, making him a worthy lineup option in every format.

Alvarez left Thursday's game against the Pirates with left knee discomfort, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

He fouled a ball off his knee in Tuesday's game, but was able to finish that game and play Wednesday as the designated hitter. However, three innings in left field Thursday may have aggravated the issue. Tony Kemp replaced him. Alvarez should be considered day-to-day ahead of this weekend's home series against the Mariners.

General manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that he doesn't expect Stanton (knee) to return from the 10-day injured list in July, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton exited Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays with what was initially labeled as a right knee contusion, but a follow-up MRI revealed that he was actually dealing with a strained PCL. While Cashman didn't pinpoint an exact timeline for Stanton's return, he called August "the sweet spot" for when the slugger might resume playing again, per Hoch. With Stanton on the shelf for at least a month, Brett Gardner is expected to settle back into an everyday role in the outfield. Clint Frazier could also be recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the near future to offer another alternative while Stanton is sidelined.

Harper will start in right field and bat third Thursday against the Mets.

After a four-game run as the Phillies' leadoff man, Harper ceded those duties to Scott Kingery at the beginning of the week and has since returned to the lineup spot he's occupied for most of the season. Harper has gone 0-for-6 over the past two contests but has at least drawn three walks.

Choi is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Minnesota is bringing a southpaw (Martin Perez) to the hill for the series finale, so Choi and three other lefty-hitting regulars (Austin Meadows, Brandon Lowe and Joey Wendle) will hit the bench. With Choi resting, Travis d'Arnaud will receive a turn at first base and act as Tampa Bay's leadoff hitter.

Martinez went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the White Sox.

Martinez's first-inning, two-run homer snapped a string of 36 plate appearances without an extra-base hit. The consistent slugger has dealt with back injuries, which may have mitigated his power potential over the first half of the season. He's still slugging a robust .528, but that's 101 points lower than the mark he produced in 2018.