MLB Player News

Harper went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in a win over the Braves in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

Harper is now batting .370 with four homers and 16 RBI in 16 games since the All-Star break, giving him 27 homers and 70 RBI for the season. He is slated to man right field and bat cleanup against lefty Sean Newcomb in the nightcap.

Pederson is not in the lineup Tuesday against the A's, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson will find his usual seat on the bench with a left-hander (Sean Manaea) toeing the rubber for the opposition. The Dodgers will deploy an outfield consisting of Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez and Yasiel Puig (from left to right) in this one.

Ohtani (elbow) worked off a mound with a towel instead of a baseball Monday, the Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani appears to be very close to proper mound work, as he's thrown from 120 feet on flat ground and worked off the mound without a ball. He hasn't pitched in a game since early June while rehabbing a Grade 2 UCL sprain in his right elbow, but if he keeps making progress, he could pitch again this season.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Belt (knee) could return sometime during the Giants' upcoming series against the Dodgers, which starts Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt has been taking grounders at first base for the past couple of days and is nearing a return from the disabled list. The 30-year-old is hoping to resume running this week, and if all goes well he could rejoin the Giants' starting lineup early next week. That said, with Clayton Kershaw set to start for the Dodgers on Monday, Belt -- who is just 4-for-54 (.074) with 28 strikeouts in his career against Kershaw -- likely wouldn't return to the fold until Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, Austin Slater and Buster Posey should continue to cover first base in his absence.

Alvarez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Monday in Triple-A Fresno's 12-3 win over Memphis.

Though Alvarez has gone deep in two of his past three games, he has yet to truly catch fire since earning a promotion to Triple-A in early July. A .207 BABIP seems to be the main culprit behind his underwhelming .202/.297/.427 batting line, as his walk (11.9 percent) and strikeout (24.8 percent) rates are more or less in line with what he posted at Double-A Corpus Christi earlier in the campaign. The rough start in the Pacific Coast League shouldn't dramatically impact Alvarez's long-term fantasy outlook, which remains a promising one thanks to his high-end power.

Ozuna went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Marlins on Monday.

The outfielder enjoyed his first return to Marlins Park, serving as one of the few offensive bright spots for the Cardinals on a night where their bats were mostly dormant. Ozuna has opened August hitting .333 (8-for-24) over the first six games of the month, and he's reached safely in 12 of his last 14 contests overall. All three components of his .269/.314/.391 season line are still under his career numbers, but Ozuna offered some reason for optimism by smacking a trio of homers over the last four games of July.

Belt (knee) took grounders for the second straight day Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt was reportedly working a little more aggressively during Monday's fielding session. He's hoping to resume running later in the week, after which a more concrete return date will hopefully come into focus. The first baseman has been on the disabled list since July 26 with a bone bruise in his knee. Belt said he expects to wear a knee brace once activated. In the meantime, Austin Slater will continue to fill in for Belt at first base.

Ohtani (elbow) has extended his throwing distance to 120 feet, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Ohtani is rehabbing a Grade 2 UCL sprain of his right elbow. He's been used effectively as a designated hitter, as he launched two homers on the road Friday against Cleveland, and there's still hope he could pitch again this season. The next step in Ohtani's rehab figures to be throwing off a mound.

Blackmon is not in the lineup Monday against the Pirates, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon will sit for the first time in over a month. David Dahl will start in center field for the Rockies.

Stanton has been limited to designated-hitter duties for the Yankees' last three games due to a tight left hamstring, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic New York reports.

Stanton was spotted with ice wrapped around the hamstring after contests Friday, Saturday and Sunday, suggesting that the leg issue might still limit his mobility heading into Monday's series opener against the White Sox. Fortunately for the Yankees, having the DH spot available has allowed the team to keep Stanton's powerful bat in the lineup while he works through the discomfort. The injury hasn't seemed to provide any complications at the plate, with Stanton going 4-for-12 with a pair of doubles over the past three games.