MLB Player News

Harper went 1-for-2 with three walks and a solo home run in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Rockies.

Tyler Anderson gave him one hittable pitch in the first inning, and the Rockies were careful not to make that mistake again for the rest of the game. Harper leads the majors with seven homers through 16 games, and his 14 RBI and 15 runs are even more impressive considering how often he's been pitched around -- he also leads MLB with 20 free passes.

Carpenter went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 3-2 win over the Reds on Sunday.

Carpenter's early season contact issues continued Sunday, as he posted his sixth multi-strikeout game over the last eight. He's whiffed at least once in 11 of the last 12 contests overall, as well, leading to a 28.8 percent strikeout rate over his first 66 plate appearances. Given the relatively small sample, the fact that Carpenter has never posted a strikeout rate higher than 22.7 percent in his career and his unsustainably low .194 BABIP, the 32-year-old infielder's fortunes at the plate are bound to turn around soon, although to what extent remains to be seen.

Alvarez cracked a three-run, walk-off home run in the 11th inning Sunday for Double-A Corpus Christi.

The 20-year-old Alvarez, Houston's third-ranked prospect per RotoWire, is hitting .286 with two homers and 10 RBI through nine games. He entered the organization as a first base-only prospect, but the Astros began introducing him to left field in 2017, and he's started all nine games in left so far this season.

Miller (groin) took batting practice for a second consecutive day and fielded groundballs before Sunday's game, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller was able to get solid work in over the weekend without apparent setbacks, leaving him closer to starting a rehab assignment. Given the Rays' overall offensive problems, manager Kevin Cash is particularly eager to see his power-hitting infielder back in action. "Brad has done a nice job throughout the rehab process, and hopefully there's no more hiccups because we're missing his bat in the lineup," Cash said.

Collins went a combined 1-for-5 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's doubleheader for Double-A Birmingham.

Collins is hitting just .091 (2-for-22) over his first eight games, which clearly isn't what the White Sox want to see out of their 2016 first-round draft pick. On a positive note, he's walked seven times, so his noted plate approach is still intact. The danger is that the longer his hitting slump lasts, the more he'll begin to chase pitches. It's already started: The Florida native has whiffed 10 times in 22 at-bats.

Ohtani will not make his scheduled start Sunday against the Royals as the game has been postponed due to the cold, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. He will start Tuesday against the Red Sox, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Much to fantasy owners' dismay, Ohtani will go from facing an exploitable Royals lineup to facing the elite Red Sox lineup. He will be followed by Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Vogelbach is not in the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Vogelbach went 2-for-4 with a double and home run Saturday, but he'll head to the bench against Sean Manaea and the A's. Taylor Motter takes over at first base, batting eighth.

Ozuna is not in the lineup Sunday against the Reds.

Ozuna went hitless Saturday for the first time since March 31, and his average currently sits at a solid .288 mark. He's knocked two homers and driven in 10 runs but has surprisingly only walked once this season after posting a 9.4 percent walk rate in 2017. With Ozuna on the bench, Harrison Bader will step in and man left field. The starter should be back in there Monday against the Cubs.

Winker (shoulder) is not in the lineup Sunday against the Cardinals.

Winker's sore right shoulder continues to bother him, so he'll take a seat for a third consecutive game. He remains a day-to-day case moving forward. Phillip Ervin draws the start in right field, batting eighth in his stead.

McCutchen went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks Saturday against the Padres.

McCutchen managed to hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning off left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard. He has gotten off to a slow start with his new club, now slugging just .357 for the season. He had a similarly slow start last season and rebounded to produce valuable numbers in June and July -- so it isn't time to panic yet.