MLB Player News

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter pushed his hitting streak to 13 games Tuesday against the Diamondbacks with a 2-for-4 performance. Carpenter is batting .418 (23 for 55) with one home run, one triple, four doubles, five RBI, six walks and 14 runs during the streak.

Since May 1, Carpenter has a slash line of .369/.462/.492/.953 in his last 30 games. Most of his success has come out of the leadoff spot, where Carpenter is batting .340 with a .435 on-base percentage in 36 games.

"Just given the way that I take an at-bat and, you know, get on base, I thought that there would be a possibility that I could be a good leadoff hitter, but I just never really fit the mold," Carpenter said, per MLB.com. "Never really got that opportunity. I've enjoyed it. I want to get on there for these guys and keep our offense rolling."

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes had his first-career two-homer game Tuesday during an extra-inning loss at Milwaukee. 

Cespedes had a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in th sixth off Kyle Lohse. He finished 3 for 5 with three RBI and is batting .239.

Cespedes, who 11 homers and 33 RBI, has gone 7 for 18 over his last four games with five RBI. 

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton played the first five innings Tuesday for Class A Jupiter, his first appearance as part of a minor-league rehab assignment. Stanton went 0 for 3, while playing right field.

It is not known how long the team wants him to be on his rehab assignment, but he could get extra playing time, as the Hammerheads are playing a doubleheader Tuesday. He's expected to be the designated hitter in the second game.

According to MLB.com, the team hopes Stanton can return to the field within a week. 

In anticipation of Giancarlo Stanton nearing a return, Marlins manager Mike Redmond told reporters that Marcell Ozuna will start seeing some action at center field.

Stanton will start his rehab assignment Tuesday and could return as early as next week. Ozuna has played all 32 of his games at right field with Stanton out. The 22-year-old is hitting .352 (25 for 71) with 11 RBI in his last 19 games.

"We're going to start working on ... possibly moving Ozuna into center a lit bit, taking some fly balls in center and left for when Stanton gets here," Redmond told The Miami Herald. "We want to have some flexibility there."

Class A Jupiter, a Marlins' affiliate' announced Tuesday that Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is ready to begin his minor-league rehab assignment. Stanton will be the designated hitter Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Stanton has been on the disabled list since April 29 due to a hamstring strain, and it is not clear how long he will be on his rehab assignment.  

Indians manager Terry Francona said after Monday's game outfielder Michael Brantley will likely slide into the third spot in the lineup to take the place of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who is likely headed to the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps suffered Monday against the Yankees.

"Asdrubal is one of our better players, but again this is where a guy like Michael Brantley can slot right in there," Francona said, per The Plain Dealer. "You don't like to lose any players, but you can't use that as an excuse. So we'll show up tomorrow and have a little different batting order and try to win."

Brantley is currently mired in a 4-for-25 slump in his last eight games. In nine career games batting third, Brantley is batting .303 (10 for 33) with a .515 slugging percentage.

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera was named the player of the month for May in the American League Monday, MLB.com reports. The reigning AL MVP and Triple Crown winner hit .379 with 33 RBI over 28 games. 

Cabrera also had nine doubles, 12 home runs, 23 runs scored and 15 walks for the month. The 12 HRs were the most by a Tiger in May since Willie Hortomn in 1968. 

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Miggy is the first player to hit at least .340 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI entering June in major league history. He leads the AL in average (.367) and RBI (65) and is second to Chris Davis (20) in homers with 17. 

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna entered the majors with a track record that suggested a powerful but inconsistent hitter. So far he’s proven to be just the opposite.

His .333 average with 15 RBI and one home run has analysts scratching their heads trying to peg Ozuna’s hitter identity. Nando Di Fino offered his theory on Monday’s Fantasy Baseball Today that Miami’s “cavernous” stadium has Ozuna’s power developing slowly. Scott White added that he initially saw Ozuna as a Dayan Viciedo, but so far he’s been more of a Michael Brantley.

Marlins manager Mike Redmond said Monday outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) is going through base-running drills at the team's spring complex and that a rehab assignment might not be far off, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has been caught stealing twice in his last four games and is now just 2 for 7 on stolen-base attempts in 2013. Cespedes was 16 of 20 on stolen-base attempts last season.

"It's just kind of a tough stretch for him right now," manager Bob Melvin said Sunday, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "Just like hitting sometimes, you go through some good streaks and some bad streaks. ... He had a couple of mishaps and some injuries on the bases, and at times you'll back off a little bit because you want to stay healthy, maybe a little trepidation at times. But he has the ability, as we've seen, to run the bases very well and steal some bases, and he will more so as we get going here."

Cespedes is batting .247 (20 for 81) with one triple, three home runs, six doubles and 11 RBI in his last 20 games.