MLB Player News

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera put Detroit on the board early Monday against the Orioles and the team never looked back. 

Cabrera hit his 19th home run of the season in the first inning off starter Jake Arrieta for a two-run shot. The Tigers won 5-1. 

Cabrera finished 3 for 4 in the game with two RBI and is batting .358 for the Tigers. The three-hit game was his first multi-hit contest since picking up three hits against Tampa Bay back on June 6. That said, Cabrera still leads the American League in batting and RBI. 

Nationals outfidler Bryce Harper met with a team doctor Monday, and has been cleared to resume his rehab, according to CSNWashington.com.

Harper will begin jogging and running in order to strenghten his knee. Harper has been treated with cortisone shots, which seem to be working. The team will allow Harper's progress to set his timetable. If he improves quickly, they will continue increasing his workload at the same pace. 

Mets infielder Justin Turner could be placed on the disabled list.

Turner is dealing with an intercostal issue, which could require him to miss some time. Turner is hitting .266/.307/.330 in 94 at-bats. 

Astros outfielder J.D. Martinez has tailed off offensively in June following a strong finish in May. 

Martinez hit .349 (22 for 63) with three home runs, six doubles and 13 RBI over a 17-game stretch from May 13-31. Unfortunately, he hasn't been as strong of a performer in June. He's batting .216 (11 for 51) with one home run, four RBI and 17 strikeouts in 14 games this month.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley heads into Monday's game against the Royals looking to end a hitting slump that has reached multiple weeks. Brantley is batting .177 (11 for 62) in his last 18 games, dropping his season average from .316 to .280. 

Brantley hasn't homered in 24 games and has managed just three RBI through 13 June games. He also has just one extra-base hit in his last 18 games.

Perhaps the Royals are the perfect remedy for Brantley. He's batting .389 (7 for 18) with one triple, two RBI and three doubles in four games against the Royals this season. In 44 career games against Kansas City, Brantley is batting .329 (57 for 173) with an .841 OPS and 22 RBI.

Marlins rookie outfielder Marcell Ozuna was held out of the starting lineup Sunday against the Cardinals for the first time since his promotion April 30. Ozuna received a day off as he's mired in a 1-for-20 slump in his last five games.

"Ozuna is in a little bit of rough patch, probably the first rough patch he has had in the big leagues," manager Mike Redmond said, per MLB.com. "But he's going to be fine. He's still confident. He believes in himself. We believe in him. He's just got to go out there and continue to stick with his approach."

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton homered for the second time since his activation off the disabled list Saturday against the Cardinals. He's also hit safely in all five games since coming off the disabled list June 10.

"He looks confident," manager Mike Redmond said, per MLB.com. "He definitely looks different than he did in April, and I think that's confidence. He feels good. He's taken some good swings. He's seen some results. Like any player, that breeds a lot of confidence, and in turn, guys play better."

Stanton is batting .400 (8 for 20) with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI since returning to the Marlins' lineup. He has also struck out once in 20 at-bats and hasn't recorded a strikeout in his last four games. Stanton struck out 26 times in his first 20 games before going on the disabled list in late April with a hamstring injury.

"Everything before was off the end of the bat because I wasn't trusting my body and my hands to relax and get through it," Stanton said. "That's why everything was off the end of the bat before."

Nationals manager Davey Johnson told MLB.com Saturday that outfielder Bryce Harper suffered a minor setback recently.

Harper, who is recovering from left knee bursitis, developed puffiness in his left knee while exercising his lower body. The Nationals remain hopeful that the 20-year-old could resume baseball activities sometime next week. Harper has been sidelined since May 26 with the injury.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt did not start Saturday against the Braves with Buster Posey at first base. Belt went 0 for 4 Friday against Atlanta. 

Belt, batting .246 on the year, has gone just 10 for 43 (.233) in June over 12 games with a homer, three RBI and seven strikeouts. 

Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen doubled for the fifth consecutive game Friday in a 3-0 win against the Dodgers. McCutchen's double to right field in the third inning drove in two runs.

The Pirates slugger, batting .299 for the year, has hit in six straight games. He's gone 11 for 22 (.500) over that span with seven runs scored, five doubles and five RBI. He also has a stolen base over the stretch and is up to 15 swiped bags on the year.