MLB Player News

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton didn't provide his usual power, but still managed to reach base four times Wednesday.

Dodgers starter Paul Maholm could do nothing to stop Stanton. In the first inning, Stanton singled. He doubled in the second and walked in the fourth. Even after Maholm was removed from the game, Stanton managed another single. Stanton was replaced by Marcell Ozuna in the seventh inning, and did not have a chance to receive additional at-bats. He finished the game 4 3 for 3, with one run scored and a walk. 

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley was removed from Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays due to back tightness, MLB.com reports.

Brantley was 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored before departing. He has hit .279/.340/.483 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 147 at-bats. The Indians will likely update his status after the game.

Spring training phenom Brad Miller will get a chance to recapture that magic despite his woes in the regular season, per MLB.com. The Mariners are sticking with him as their starter, though perhaps not for long.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned," said Lloyd McClendon. "He's struggling right now and I'm trying to get him out of it. I've said a few times you either play 'em or you bench 'em. We're trying to play him and see if he can come out of it. I don't have any answers."

Apparently, neither does Miller. He has just one hit since May 5 and his average has fallen to .156 on the season. He hit two home runs in the season opener and just one since.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt's surgical procedure to insert two pins into his fracture left thumb went off with complications Tuesday, according to MLB.com.

Belt is expected to miss six weeks as a result of the injury, but the San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that timeline could extend as long as eight weeks, depending on how his recovery progress goes.

"It could be a little longer," manager Bruce Bochy said before Tuesday's game.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera was 2 for 3 with a ninth-inning, three-run home run in his team's 4-1 win over the Orioles Tuesday.

Cabrera's two-out homer turned his team's 1-0 deficit into a lead they wouldn't relinquish in the bottom of the inning. He's turned things around in May after a slow start, giving himself a .298/.342/.504 line with six home runs and 33 RBI in 141 at-bats.

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf is with Lehigh Valley on a rehab assignment, and he will stay there through the weekend as he recovers from an oblique injury.

General manager Ruben Amaro told the Philadelphia Daily News Tuesday he expects Ruf to stay with the IronPigs through Saturday. The next step in his recovery will come later. 

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper had the stitches removed from his injured thumb Monday, masnsports.com reports.

Harper isn't ready for rehab work just yet. He should be back in early July once the UCL in the thumb heals.

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon had his team's only run during a 4-1 loss Sunday against Reds, connecting for a solo home run off Homer Bailey in the fourth inning. It was Blackmon's ninth home run and second in as many days.

Blackmon is batting .304 (14 for 46) with a .609 slugging percentage and .913 OPS in 10 May games. He also has two doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI and 11 runs.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen returned from a one-game absence and reached base four times Sunday against the Cardinals. McCutchen went 1 for 2 with three walks and an RBI, giving him 19 RBI this season.

McCutchen sat out Saturday with a gimpy ankle. He's hitting .321/.438/.511.

The Phillies announced Monday outfielder Darin Ruf (oblique) and pitcher Ethan Martin (shoulder) had their rehab assignments moved from Class A Clearwater to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Ruf hit .250 (3 for 12) with two RBI in three games for Clearwater, while Martin tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three relief appearances. He allowed three hits and issued three walks.