-
Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: On bench Sunday
Turner is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Milwaukee.
Turner started the past five games at third base and went 5-for-19 with one double and one RBI, but he will take a seat for the series finale. Max Muncy will start at third base and bat fifth while Cody Bellinger steps in at first base.
-
Matt Carpenter DH | STL
Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Makes noise from top of order
Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a triple and a walk in a loss to the Reds on Saturday.
Carpenter has yet to hit his stride at the plate in the early going, but Saturday's effort was certainly a step in the right direction. The veteran's three-bagger was his first of the season, and he's now reached safely in all eight of his April starts. Although he sports a middling .235 average through his first 60 plate appearances, it's worth noting the notoriously slow-starting Carpenter hit just .145 last April before embarking on a torrid four-month stretch that transformed his season.
-
Zack Collins C | CLE
White Sox's Zack Collins: Crushes fifth homer
Collins went 1-for-4 with a solo home run for Triple-A Charlotte in Saturday's game against Indianapolis.
Collins has put a charge into the ball early on, cracking five homers over his first seven games. The young catcher appears to be letting fewer pitches pass by, opting to swing at hittable offerings he'd take last year. His typically elite-level OBP is at just .300 through seven games.
-
Franmil Reyes DH | WAS
Padres' Franmil Reyes: Blasts game-winning homer
Reyes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks.
His seventh-inning shot off Matt Andriese provided the winning run for the Padres. Reyes is slashing only .184/.267/.474 through 16 games, but he's starting to find his stroke: All three of his homers have come in the last six contests.
-
Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Heads to bench
Pederson is not starting Saturday against the Brewers.
Pederson sits against a righty for the first time this season, with Zach Davies on the mound for the Brewers. Chris Taylor gets the start in left field.
-
Brandon Belt DH | TOR
Giants' Brandon Belt: Scratched with stiff neck
Belt was scratched from Saturday's lineup against the Rockies due to neck stiffness, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.
Pablo Sandoval will take over for Belt at first base. It's unclear how much time Belt is expected to miss.
-
Eloy Jimenez DH | TOR
White Sox's Eloy Jimenez: Heating up
Jimenez went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in a victory over the Yankees on Friday.
The 22-year-old is heating up. He's 8-for-16 (.500) and has posted three extra-base hits (his only three this year) in his last four games. The hot streak has raised his batting average to .319 for the year, and he has added two homers, six RBI and three runs.
-
Andrew McCutchen DH | TEX
Phillies' Andrew McCutchen: Enjoys big day at dish
McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a walk and a second run scored Friday against the Marlins.
McCutchen tacked on some insurance runs in the eighth inning with a blast to dead center, his third homer of the 2019 campaign. The 32-year-old outfielder is slashing .262/.426/.524 with five extra-base hits and eight RBI through 12 matchups this season.
-
Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Hitting off tee
Stanton (biceps) hit off a tee and took some soft-toss swings Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Stanton began swinging a bat Wednesday, and while it's good to see that he's slowly progressing, the Yankees still haven't released a concrete timetable for his return to game action. A return date should become clearer once he begins to face live pitching.