MLB Player News

Miller, who was hitting .174 on May 4, has now raised his average 76 points since that date following a 2-for-4 effort against the Twins on Thursday.

The offseason acquisition from the Mariners had been mired in perhaps the worst slump of his professional career to open his Rays tenure. Miller's batting average didn't even eclipse .100 until his 10th game of the season, and it took a 4-for-5 performance against the Angels on May 6 for him to finally cross the Mendoza Line. The 26-year-old slashed .291/.351/.535 overall in May, and has kicked off the new month with a .333 (3-for-9) average over the first two games.

Harper (knee) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds.

After missing two consecutive games due to a knee contusion, Harper will rejoin the Nationals' lineup in time for their series opener at Great American Ball Park. He'll face left-hander Brandon Finnegan in his return. Harper has struggled of late and he's struggled against lefties all season by his standards, batting .225 with a .808 OPS in 40 at-bats against southpaws.

Soler is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Soler went 2-for-3 with two runs in Thursday's game and started 11 of the last 14 games in left field, but manager Joe Maddon decided to hold him out Friday with Kris Bryant moving to the outfield to make room for Tommy La Stella at third base.

McCutchen aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in Thursday's game against the Marlins, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

Fortunately, McCutchen told MLB.com's Adam Berry that he didn't consider the issue to be one that would require a stint on the disabled list. However, thumb injuries can obviously affect a player's ability to grip the bat, so McCutchen may have to battle through more discomfort until the soreness eventually subsides. He figures to be back in the lineup Friday, but if Clint Hurdle opts to give the star outfield the day off, Starling Marte could slide over to center while Matt Joyce takes over in left.

Belt went 2-for-3 with a walk and two doubles in Thursday's win against the Braves.

Belt pushed his average back above .300 for the first time since May 18. He's had a great start to the season in nearly every facet of the game. The first baseman's plate discipline has been elite and Belt's contact rate is at a career high (80 percent). His strike out rate has improved to a career-best 16.1 percent, too.

Stanton went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, two walks and a strikeout against Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Stanton has been a huge fantasy disappointment this season, but the fact that he's hitting, getting on base and producing runs could indicate he might be leaving his slump behind. His average is still a paltry .213, but he's hit safely in four of the past five games. All the signs indicate he's on the right track.

Brantley (shoulder) hit off a tee Thursday and hopes to take soft toss Friday, MLB.com reports.

The Indians continue to take a cautious approach to Brantley's rehab but he's made some steady, albeit slow, progress in recent days. His ability to handle and respond positively to increased activities will go a long way in determining the next steps in his recovery.

Soler went 2-for-3 and scored twice in Thursday's win over the Dodgers.

The Cuban outfielder has had a rough go at it early in the season, slashing a paltry .202/.302/.361 through 45 games. Soler is striking out more than 25-percent of the time and has been a bit unlucky with a .241 BABIP. There are signs of life, however, as Soler has notched four multi-hit performances in his past 11 games after accomplishing that feat just twice in the first 34 contests.

McCutchen left Thursday's game in the sixth inning with right thumb discomfort.

After lining out to short in the top of the sixth, McCutchen was replaced in center field by Starling Marte in the bottom of the frame, with Sean Rodriguez taking over in left field. The Pirates have not given any hint as to the severity of the injury, so McCutchen's availability for Friday's series opener against the Angels and the rest of the weekend is uncertain.

McCutchen was lifted from Thursday's game in the bottom of the sixth inning, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

There was nothing obvious that led to McCutchen's departure, but considering the context -- the Pirates were being no-hit at the time of his exit -- it seems some sort of ailment is in play. Starling Marte moved to center field to replace McCutchen as Sean Rodriguez came into the game to man left.