MLB Player News

Belt was removed in the seventh inning of Friday's contest due to an issue with his knee, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Belt had just returned from a brief absence due to soreness in his right knee Wednesday, so it isn't surprising that his removal was related to the same injury. On the bright side, the first baseman said that he doesn't believe the setback is of the long-term variety and that he should be considered day-to-day. Manager Bruce Bochy said that it would be tough to start Belt Saturday, so Austin Slater would likely slide over to first base if that plan sticks. Belt is scheduled to undergo offseason surgery on his nagging knee so that he can hopefully begin the 2019 season with a clean bill of health.

Belt was removed from Friday's game against the Rockies with an apparent injury, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt just returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after missing time due to a knee issue, and it appears the same issue is bothering him again. He'll likely be considered day-to-day moving forward.

McCutchen went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and a second run scored in Friday's 11-0 rout of the Blue Jays.

McCutchen tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning on a solo homer to right field, delivering his 18th home run of the season and his third as a Yankee. The 31-year-old owns a .253/.365/.421 slash line through 142 games this season, although he'll likely see his playing time take a hit when Aaron Judge (wrist) is finally cleared to return to the starting lineup.

Carpenter went 2-for-5 with two runs in a loss to the Dodgers on Thursday.

Carpenter continues to get on base at an elite clip, with Thursday's two-hit effort pushing his on-base percentage for September to .375. The veteran is slated to move back to first base on an everyday basis with the return of Jedd Gyorko (groin) from the disabled list, and Carpenter sports a .270/.386/.553 line on the season that's partly comprised of a career best in home runs (35).

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a single and a solo home run in Thursday's victory over the Blue Jays.

Martinez got the scoring started for the Red Sox with a solo shot off Sam Gaviglio in the second inning. The MVP candidate now has a .330/.400/.634 slash line with 41 home runs, 122 RBI and 106 runs over 602 plate appearances in 2018.

Ozuna went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Thursday against the Dodgers.

Ozuna hit his 15th double of the season, but his RBI came on a groundout and single. He's been on a productive stretch in the final month of the season, driving in 13 in his last nine games. A power surge since the All-Star break has salvaged Ozuna's season, as he's slugging .667 across the last 30 days.

Pederson is not in the starting nine against St. Louis on Thursday.

Pederson will receive a breather with a southpaw (Austin Gomber) on the mound for the Redbirds. During the past two games, Pederson has gone 4-for-7 with two solo home runs and three runs scored. In his absence, Chris Taylor will man left field and bat atop the order. Look for Pederson to return to the lineup Friday.

Blackmon is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Arizona, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Blackmon will receive a rare day off following 15 straight starts as Gerardo Parra gets a nod in the outfield for the series finale. During that 15-game stretch, Blackmon has hit .355 with a 1.011 OPS and nine extra-base hits. Look for him to return to the starting lineup Friday in San Francisco.

Choi went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's win over the Indians.

Choi stayed hot Wednesday, taking Carlos Carrasco deep in the first inning to put the Rays up 2-0, his second homer in the past three games. The 27-year-old is now hitting an impressive .353/.439/.824 with four homers, four doubles and 12 RBI through 10 games this month.

Turner went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

Turner knocked a two-run single in the fifth inning and added an RBI-double in the sixth as the Dodgers busted the game open with eight runs across three innings. The veteran third baseman has been one of the hottest hitters in the league since the All-Star break, slashing a healthy .374/.466/.683 with eight homers and 27 RBI across 30 games.