MLB Player News

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is generally a good bet to produce against most any pitcher. But his matchup Monday against Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton is particularly promising.

Stanton is 7-for-15 lifetime against Morton with three walks. Oddly, however, he has no home runs in those plate appearances.

David Murphy will step into the DH role on Monday as the Indians face the Rangers, just the second time in nine games that Murphy will be in that role. 

Murphy will hit fifth in Cleveland's lineup against Texas starter Phil Klein. He has only faced Klein once, but has a hit in that lone at-bat. Murphy is hitting .529 with two doubles and two RBIs from the five-hole. 

Two other Indians starters, Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley, have also just faced Klein once, and both have hit solo home runs against the pitcher. 

First baseman Miguel Cabrera was not in the Tigers lineup Monday, the first time all season the slugger has not started. Cabrera will be replaced at first base by Hernan Perez.

Manager Brad Ausmus said that Cabrera's ankle has been cranky the last few days, making Monday a good time to give the slugger an off-day following the team's flight to Oakland, the Detroit Free Press reports. He is available as a pinch-hitter against the A's.

"Just give him a day mentally," said Ausmus when asked if he considered tabbing Cabrera as the designated hitter, per MLive.com. "His ankle has been a little cranky the last few days, so it's a good time. Especially after the flight."

In addition, rookie shortstop Dixon Machado will make the first start of his MLB career and hit ninth for the Tigers. Machado was called up from Triple-A on Sunday as Jose Iglesias battles a sore knee. 

Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez has been scratched from the Monday lineup against the host Reds because of illness, per MLB.com.

Gonzalez, who did not play Sunday, has been unproductive in 2015 with a slash line of .206/.285/.326.

His spot was assumed Monday by Charlie Blackmon, who was originally not in the lineup.

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki are out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

Blackmon will get a break after starting 12 straight games, and Brandon Barnes will man both center field and the leadoff spot in the lineup. Tulowitzki is sitting for the second time in three games and will be replaced by Daniel Descalso, who's batting eighth.

The Rockies are underdogs (+132) on Monday, per VegasInsider.com.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera went 2 for 5 at the plate in Detroit's 10-8 loss to the Astros on Sunday.

Cabrera did his damage in the ninth inning when he crushed the first pitch he saw from Luke Gregerson over the left center field wall for a solo home run, his 11th of the season.

Cabrera is now hitting .344 with 32 RBI in 163 at-bats this season.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter went 1 for 3 at the plate in St. Louis' 6-1 win over the Royals on Sunday. 

Carpenter did his damage in the sixth when he belted a two-run home run off of Yordano Ventura, his eighth of the season. Carpenter, who also walked twice and struck out once, is now hitting .323 with 27 RBI in 158 at-bats this season.

"He's just a pro," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said to MLB.com. "We're big fans of the way he goes about his work, how he plays the game and how he respects the game and his teammates."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning of Sunday's 9-1 win over the Mets. 

McCutchen took a 1-2 pitch to deep center field off of Jonathon Niese that also drove in Jose Tabata. That was McCutchen's seventh home run of the season. He finished the game 2 for 3 with a single and two walks. 

"You've got to have the confidence in yourself that regardless of what they're throwing up there, you're capable of being able to have some good at-bats and be able to be on the successful side of it," McCutchen said to MLB.com.

This was the second game in a row that McCutchen went yard and marked the third time in the past four games he's done so. After a horrible start in April, McCutchen is hitting .321 since May 1. 

McCutchen is slashing .261/.359/.464 for the season. 

Athletics first baseman Mark Canha hit a three-run home run to help lead Oakland past Tampa Bay on Sunday. 

Canha went 2 for 3 with a walk. The homer was his sixth of the year and first since May 9. He added his fourth double of the season and reached 18 RBI on the year. 

Blue Jays shortstop Ryan Goins hit his first home run since April 23 of last season in Sunday's win over Seattle.

Goins hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, as the Blue Jays pulled in front to stay. He drove in a total of three runs on the day, giving him 11 for the year. 

Goins went 1 for 2 with two walks.