MLB Player News

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will see more time in left field as manager Bruce Bochy looks for a way to get Belt and catchers Buster Posey and Andrew Susac in the lineup at the same time, CSN Bay Area reports.

Belt drew a start in left field last Sunday for the first time since 2012, and it appears he'll see more work in the outfield moving forward. However, the impending return of right fielder Hunter Pence could also create a playing-time crunch between Belt, Susac and outfielder Nori Aoki.

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler has struck out 17 times over his last eight games after managing just nine strikeouts in his first eight games, but manager Joe Maddon says there's nothing wrong with his swing, MLB.com reports.

"He was doing really well in the beginning and then he started to expand [his zone]," Maddon said of Soler. "There's nothing wrong with his swing -- he just has to organize his strike zone.

"He's a little bit eager," Maddon said. "He's had a lot of guys in scoring position. He's also done some really nice damage."

Soler has gone hitless in three straight games heading into Sunday's action, giving him a .273/.338/.439 line with two home runs and nine RBI in 66 at-bats.

Catcher Kurt Suzuki, DH Kennys Vargas and right fielder Torii Hunter were not included in the Twins' Sunday lineup. 

Suzuki was replaced by Chris Herrmann, who started his fourth game at catcher, batting eighth.

Oswaldo Arcia moved over from left to replace Hunter. Eduardo Escobar picked up his fourth start of the year in left, batting sixth.  

Eduardo Nunez played Dh for the first time this year, batting fifth. 

Athletics left fielder Mark Canha is out of the lineup for the second straight game on Sunday. Craig Gentry gets his first start of the season in left in Canha's place. 

Gentry has had five starts in center and two in right. 

The A's are -150 money line favorites at home against Houston. 

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is in the midst of a 0-15 slump in the past five games he's played in. McCutchen's batting average is down to .175 while striking out five times in this span. 

"That's baseball … it's a game of adjustments," McCutchen said, via MLB.com. "I'll get there, it's a matter of time," McCutchen said. "I'm not focused on the outcome, just on the feeling. And I'm feeling good, so the outcome will be there. Long as I feel good, I'll get good results."

McCutchen and the Pirates take on the Diamondbacks Sunday at 4:10 p.m.

Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. 

Reyes has started at short in 15 of the team's 18 games, including five straight. He'll be replaced by Ryan Goins, who is making his third start at shortstop. Goins has also started games at second and left field. 

Goins will hit ninth in the lineup. The Blue Jays are +122 money line underdogs at Tampa.

It took Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton 10 days this season to get his booming bat going. But he has certainly made up for lost time.

Stanton not only slugged his fifth homer in the last 10 games in a waltz Saturday over Washington, but he singled, doubled and walked to send his slugging percentage soaring to a season-high .569.

He was involved in the rout throughout. He doubled in a run and scored in the fourth, walked and scored in the sixth, then put the cherry on top with a 419-foot clout in the eighth.

Giants left fielder Nori Aoki returns to the starting lineup Saturday against the Giants and will bat lead off, reports CSN Bay Area.

Aoki, who received his first off day of the season Friday, is hitting .311 with three RBI in 74 at-bats this season. Also in the lineup Saturday is catcher Andrew Susac, with Buster Posey shifting to first base and moving Brandon Belt to the bench. Susac, making just his third start of the year, is hitting 3 for 8 with two strikeouts to start the year.

Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas swapped positions for the Twins on Saturday. Mauer, who has started 14 of the team's 16 games at first base, will play designated hitter. Vargas, who has been the DH for 13 games, will play first. 

It's the second start at first base this season for Vargas and Mauer's third time at DH. 

The Twins are +145 money line underdogs at Seattle. 

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley went 4 for 4 in Saturday's loss to Detroit. 

Brantley doubled twice and drove in Cleveland's only run of the game. He's now hitting .359, 73 points higher than he started the day. Brantley has four doubles and six RBI. 

"It feels good," Brantley said to MLB.com. "You always want to contribute and do the best that you can for your team each and every day. I'll continue to work hard and keep pushing the guys like they are pushing me and we're going to be fine."