MLB Player News

Pirates stud center fielder Andrew McCutchen remains out of the lineup Monday night against Detroit. A rib fracture has prevented him from playing since Aug. 3, but the team has hesitated to place him on the disabled list.

Red Sox left fielder Yoenis Cespedes shattered the quiet of a scoreless game Sunday against the Angels with a three-run homer that led to a victory.

Cespedes went deep with one out against premier setup man Joe Smith. It marked his first tater with his new team, but he now has a six-game hitting streak.

The Blue Jays announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Brad Mills and optioned infielder Ryan Goins to Triple-A Buffalo following Sunday's 19-inning marathon against the Tigers.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton came close to hitting two home runs during a 7-2 loss Sunday against the Reds, but outfielder Jay Bruce made a leaping catch in the eighth inning to rob Stanton of a multi-homer game. Stanton did get his 29th home run of the season with a two-out solo blast off Johnny Cueto in the first inning.

Stanton finished 2 for 4. He has homered in three of his last four games and has four home runs in nine August games. Stanton has homered eight times in 23 games since the All-Star break.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who has not played in a week due to a rib fracture, remained out of Sunday's lineup against the Padres. The team hopes to avoid putting McCutchen on the disabled list, but it remains a possibility if he doesn't return soon.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley continued to rake and show surprising power in a Saturday win against the host Yankees.

Brantley capped the scoring with a solo home run in the eighth inning and added two singles to sweeten his stat line to .324/.384/.519. He has 17 homers and 74 RBI on the season.

Pirates slugger Andrew McCutchen remains out of the lineup Saturday against San Diego with a side issue that has prevented him from playing since Sunday.

Indians top hitter Michael Brantley was slotted in at designated hitter Saturday against the Yankees due to general leg soreness, per MLB.com. Terry Francona could place him in the same spot Sunday.

"I just think it'll do him some good," Francona said about the rest from playing in the outfield. "He's played a lot of baseball. It seems like he's on base two or three times a game, and he's stealing, going from first to third, running down everything in center field."

Brantley has not shown any dropoff at the plate recently. He is batting .400 in his last 35 at-bats.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went 1 for 4 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 2-1 win over the Reds Friday.

Stanton increased his NL-leading home-run total to 28 with the seventh-inning blast. He has homered in back-to-back games while also collecting five home runs in his last nine outings. Stanton owns a .289/.389/.550 line with 28 home runs, 77 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 429 at-bats.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will be placed on the seven-day disabled list with recurring concussion symptoms, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt missed Thursday's game due to recent headaches and visited a doctor Friday. He'll have to pass concussion tests before he can begin to play in game situations again. Belt has hit .237/.296/.446 with 11 home runs and 24 RBI in 186 at-bats.