MLB Player News

Carpenter went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a run in Friday's 11-4 win over the Cubs.

Factoring in Friday's production, Carpenter is now slashing .309/.439/.537 out of the leadoff spot this season, a line partly comprised of 16 doubles, five home runs and 19 RBI. He's been red-hot in July as well, already raising his season average 21 points to .252 while posting six multihit efforts. The only missing element in his current stretch has been the long ball, as the veteran infielder's last homer came on June 24.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with two walks, three runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 13-5 win over the Rockies.

It's his first multihit performance since the All-Star break, extending McCutchen's current on-base streak to 12 games. He's arguably been the most valuable hitter in baseball since the calendar flipped to June, slashing .384/.481/.642 in his last 42 games with nine homers, four steals, 32 RBI and 37 runs, and Cutch's resurgence is a big reason why the Pirates suddenly find themselves back in the thick of the NL Central playoff race.

Cabrera was diagnosed with a right clavicle contusion after taking a hard grounder off the chest in Friday's game against the Twins, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

In English, that's a bruised collarbone. X-rays taken after Cabrera left the game were negative, so it doesn't sound like this will be a major injury. The Tigers could choose to rest him this weekend in Minnesota, though, so consider him day-to-day for now.

Martinez (hand) underwent an MRI on Friday, which came back negative, Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports reports.

Although the hand contusion seemed like a minor injury for Martinez, these test results confirmed that he won't be out for long. He could make his return to the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals, but the Diamondbacks may choose be patient with their big-ticket acquisition's recovery. In Martinez's stead, Daniel Descalso earned a start in the outfield during Friday's series opener.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Braves, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

Pederson will take a seat while the Dodgers face left-hander Jaime Garcia on Friday for the series opener. In his place, Enrique Hernandez draws the start in center while batting sixth.

Martinez (hand) is not in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Nationals.

Martinez will continue to recover from a left hand contusion as he takes a seat for the second straight day. The outfielder should be considered day-to-day moving forward, while David Peralta draws the start in right field in his place.

Buxton (groin) will run and field flyballs Friday to test out his injured groin, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

If all goes well, Buxton is expected to go on a brief rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester. The young outfielder will likely be ready to return to the lineup Tuesday when he's first eligible to be activated, but it still hinges on how this increase in activity goes over the next few days.

Blackmon (leg) is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Pirates, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet reports.

Blackmon exited Wednesday's contest after dealing with cramping due to dehydration, but should be fully capable for Friday's series opener at Coors Field. Since the All-Star break, Blackmon has gone 12-for-25 with three home runs and six RBI at the plate.

Miller went 2-for-4 with an RBI fielder's choice and a double in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the Athletics.

After hitting safely in his first four games following a disabled list stint, Miller had gone 0-for-13 over the subsequent quartet of contests. However, he was able to get back on track Wednesday, vaulting his average back over the Mendoza Line to .201 in the process. While Miller's numbers remain drastically down across the board, the hope is that full health during the second half will afford him the at-bats necessary to finally hit his stride.

Martinez (hand) is not in the lineup Thursday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

The new acquisition still is nursing a left hand contusion after being hit by a pitch Wednesday. Martinez should be back in the coming days, though the Diamondbacks may take their time with their new bopper to get him right. Chris Herrmann will spell him in right field