MLB Player News

Blackmon (back) is not in the lineup Sunday against the Braves, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon will be withheld from the starting lineup after exiting early Saturday with apparent back tightness. It doesn't appear that he's dealing with a serious injury, and the Rockies likely are simply exercising caution with their prized outfielder. Blackmon will remain day-to-day heading into the Monday series opener with the Padres. Mike Tauchman draws the start in center field in his absence.

Miller went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in the Rays' 10-3 loss Saturday to the Red Sox.

His first-inning two-bagger to deep center plated Denard Span and Carlos Gomez, opening the scoring on the afternoon. Miller is hitting an anemic .200 over his first 27 plate appearances, but he does have a modest three-game hitting streak and has hit safely in four of his last five games overall. The 28-year-old undeniably brings plenty of home-run upside to the table, but his sluggish start -- albeit over a small sample -- is somewhat of a disappointment, considering his .231 average this spring and career-low .201 figure last season.

Canha is expected to be called up from Triple-A Nashville once Boog Powell (knee) is officially placed on the disabled list, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Canha failed to make the Opening Day roster despite hitting a scorching .362 with four home runs and 10 RBI over 52 spring training plate appearances. However, it appears that the 29-year-old outfielder will be making his 2018 big-league debut in April regardless. Canha is 2-for-8 with a double and solo home run over his first two games with the Sounds.

McCutchen went 6-for-7 with a stolen base, one home run, four RBI, and two runs scored Saturday against the Dodgers.

McCutchen had just two hits entering Saturday's game, but he produced across the board against the Dodgers, including a walkoff three-run homer. He was also successful on his first stolen-base attempt of the season. McCutchen has started slowly in seasons past, and though he's no longer a first-round producer, he should improve from his sluggish start as the season wears on.

Blackmon was removed from Saturday's extra-inning win due to back tightness, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

It seemed strange that the star center fielder was removed from the game prior to its conclusion, but nothing suggested that he was dealing with an injury. No word has come forth as to how severe the issue is, so consider Blackmon day-to-day for the time being. If Blackmon misses any time due to the injury, Mike Tauchman or Ian Desmond could see some extra starts in the outfield, with the latter option potentially allowing Ryan McMahon to log some time in the starting lineup.

Winker went 1-for-2 with two walks, one run scored and one RBI against the Pirates on Saturday.

With Scott Schebler out, Winker has enjoyed regular playing time leading off and playing right field. He has been impressive, posting a .538 on-base percentage. He still doesn't have any extra-base hits in 18 at-bats, but he has the potential to score plenty of runs with consistent playing time as long as Schebler remains out of the lineup.

Ozuna went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

He now has a six-game hitting streak going, during which Ozuna is a blistering 11-for-26 (.423). His 0:11 BB:K through eight games isn't ideal, but as long as the 27-year-old is hitting the ball with this much authority when he does make contact, the Cards should be very happy with their big offseason acquisition.

Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a walk and three RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win over the White Sox.

He drove in the first three Tigers runs with a bases-loaded single in the third inning and a groundout in the fifth. After a disappointing 2017, Cabrera now has eight RBI through his first seven games this season, and his .308/.400/.538 slash line is right in line with his career standards.

Martinez went 1-for-2 with a home run, two runs and two RBI against the Rays on Saturday.

Martinez's first Red Sox home run was a seventh-inning solo shot off Chaz Roe. He also drove in a run on a first-inning sacrifice fly. His opening six games had been something of a disappointment, as he was slashing just .240/.296/.360. It's still early, though, so the slugger has plenty of time to get on a roll.

Harper hit his fifth home run of the season in Saturday's loss to the Mets.

Harper's homer was a sixth-inning solo shot off of Hansel Robles. It gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead, which they relinquished the following inning. Harper is on a tear to start the year, with five home runs and a .292/.486/.917 line through his first eight games.