MLB Player News

Harper went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, his 12th of the season, in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Phillies.

He followed that up by going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the nightcap to help the Nats split the twin bill. Despite his huge start to the season, Harper has somehow found another gear recently, slashing .417/.481/.875 with three homers, seven RBI and five runs over his last six games.

Ozuna went 2-for-3 with a walk during Sunday's win against Atlanta.

Reaching base three times lifted Ozuna's slash line to an impressive .316/.390/.603, and he's already posted 11 home runs, 29 RBI and 20 runs. The 26-year-old outfielder is well on his way to a career-best campaign, and he's locked into the heart of the Marlins' lineup.

Vargas went 1-for-4 with a two-run double during Sunday's loss to Cleveland.

Dating back to last season, Vargas owns a .507 slugging percentage with 13 doubles and 14 home runs through just 231 plate appearances, so there's plenty of power upside here. He's also settled into the heart of the Minnesota lineup over the past six games and drove in seven runs. If Vargas can maintain -- or even improve -- his current 25.9 strikeout percentage, he'll be a solid source of home runs and RBI going forward. It's probably wise to keep expectations for batting average in check, but his fantasy stock is on the rise nonetheless.

McCutchen, who is slashing .132/.207/.302 in his last 58 plate appearances since April 29, is batting third Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Despite his struggles, McCutchen is batting .333 with three homers and eight RBI against left-handed pitching in 2017. With Arizona throwing southpaw Robbie Ray (against whom McCutchen has two hits in five career at-bats), perhaps the outfielder can get back on track. Certainly, his .226 BABIP figures to inch closer to his career mark of .328, or at least his 2016 number of .297.

Martinez went 3-for-4 with three RBI from a go-ahead solo home run and a two-run shot in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Angels.

The slugging outfielder made his presence felt in only his second game of the season, snapping a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth with a 381-foot solo shot that would prove to be the game-winner. Martinez had taken Angels starter Ricky Nolasco deep with Victor Martinez aboard in the second as well for his first round tripper of the season. The 29-year-old's bat has been missed as he recovered from a foot injury over the first several weeks of the season, but if Saturday's effort is any indication, he appears ready to contribute his customary level of production.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run, walk-off home run during Saturday's 6-4 win over the Phillies.

He also scored a second run, giving him an incredible 39 runs through 32 games to go along with 11 homers and 31 RBI. Harper's heroics capped a day in which he signed a record-breaking one-year deal to avoid arbitration in 2018, but $21.65 million could look like a relative bargain next season given his current .368/.493/.726 pace.

Belt went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Saturday's win over Cincinnati.

The first baseman is now up to six home runs and 16 RBI with a .220/.352/.432 slash line. The dip in batting average and slugging percentage will likely climb closer to his .272 average and .460 slugging percentage entering 2017 over the course of the season, but with San Francisco struggling offensively and fielding a weak lineup, Belt might struggle to match last season's career-high 82 RBI.

Manager Andy Green said Saturday that Dickerson (back) could return by mid-June so long as he avoids any setbacks in his rehab, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Dickerson progressed to cardio work and weight lifting last month and recently resumed some baseball activities, although it's not entirely clear what all he's doing at the moment. He was diagnosed with a disc protrusion in his back during spring training, but surgery was deemed unnecessary.

Pederson is not in the lineup Saturday against the Rockies, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

With Tyler Anderson, a southpaw, taking the mound for the Rockies, Pederson will head to the bench. The Dodgers will send Enrique Hernandez to center field in Pederson's place. Look for Pederson to return to action for Sunday's series finale against Colorado.

Blackmon isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Dodgers, Jake Shapiro of BSNDenver.com reports.

Blackmon had a great game Friday, as he went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run. However, he'll sit out of Saturday's outing while Gerardo Parra starts in center field. Blackmon will likely return Sunday versus the Dodgers.