MLB Player News

Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez homered for the second straight game and fifth time in four games during an 8-7 loss to the White Sox on Thursday. Martinez connected for a two-run homer off Carlos Rodon in the fifth inning.

Martinez, who has 18 home runs, has homered nine times since June 7. He is batting .333 (19 for 57) with an .842 slugging percentage, 1.219 OPS, two doubles, 22 RBI, 10 runs, three walks and 10 strikeouts in his last 15 games.

The Twins made the surprising announcement Friday that rookie center fielder Byron Buxton was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a left thumb sprain, which he suffered Tuesday against the White Sox while attempting to steal second base.

Twins manager Paul Molitor told Go 96.3 FM that Buxton will likely be out longer than the minimum 15 days on the disabled list.

"(Buxton) is going to have to back off a while, probably at least a month," Molitor said.

The Twins recalled Danny Santana from Triple-A Rochester to replace Buxton, who is batting .189 (7 for 37) with no home runs, no RBI, five runs, two walks, 15 strikeouts and one stolen base in 11 games since his highly anticipated promotion from the minors.

Buxton entered the season as the top prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. Baseball America had him ranked as the second-best prospect.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt flashed his speed in Thursday's 13-8 win over the Padres. Belt went 3 for 5 with a pair of triples, an RBI and a run scored. 

Even with the three-hit effort, Belt is still batting just .158 (6 for 38) with 16 strikeouts over his last 10 games. 

After sustaining a minor injury to his right leg Wednesday, the Nationals held outfielder Bryce Harper out of Thursday's lineup against the Braves, reports The Washington Post. The original injury was thought to be a cramp.

Harper was replaced by Clint Robinson in right field. Over his last seven games, Harper is hitting .370 with three home runs and seven RBI.

The Nationals are favored (-155) over the Braves on Thursday.

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson was not in the lineup for Thursday's contest at the Chicago Cubs, reports MLB.com.

He was replaced in center field by Enrique Hernandez, who will also bat first. Over his last eight games, Pederson is hitting .208 with two home runs and four RBI.

The Dodgers are the underdogs (+128) at Chicago on Thursday.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper played a key role in Wednesday's extra-inning win against the Braves, as he scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning after getting on base via a one-out double.

However, after the game, it was revealed Harper sustained an injury to his right leg as he slid awkwardly into second base on the double.

"It was a cramp when he went into second," Nationals manager Matt Williams said, per MASNsports.com. "Standing there it got a little bit better. He told me he could score if there was a base hit. So, it subsided a little bit, we'll see how it acts when he wakes up in the morning.

"Doc'll take a look at him, trainers will take a look at him when we get back in there and we'll see what we got."

Harper, who went 2 for 5 with one RBI, downplayed the issue.

"I just felt a cramp," Harper said after the game, per MLB.com. "I just got done working out, so I haven't even gotten treatment yet. But, pretty much just a cramp."

He is batting .375 (27 for 72) with six doubles, six home runs, 15 RBI, 11 runs, 10 walks, 11 strikeouts and one stolen base in 20 June games.

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon went 2 for 4 in Wednesday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

The multi-hit performance extended Blackmon's hitting streak to eight games.

Over his last eight games, Blackmon is hitting .419 with 13 hits, four doubles and 10 RBI.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner hit his 10th home run of the season in a win against the Cubs on Wednesday.

Turner hit a three-run blast in the third inning and put his team in a prime position to take the win.

Turner's been on an offensive tear over the last few weeks, hitting .383 with five home runs and 15 RBI over his last 16 games.

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton continued his MVP-caliber season during Wednesday's loss to the Cardinals.

Stanton went 3 for 6 with a solo home run, his league-leading 27th blast of the season.

Over his last 21 games, Stanton is hitting a mind-boggling .370 with 12 home runs and 23 RBI.

If Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez isn't going to slug his team to victory, he's at least going to put a dent in the stat line of an opposing pitcher.

Martinez mashed his fourth home run in three games Wednesday and wrecked the shutout of Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco in the process. His towering two-run blast in the seventh inning landed over the wall in left field.

He is batting .350 (14-for-40) over his last 10 games with a whopping 16 RBI. He now has 17 homers and 43 RBI on the year.