MLB Player News

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera hit his seventh double of the season Wednesday.

Cabrera was one of the few bright spots on the club Wednesday. Cabrera had two of the team's six hits, and drove in one run. 

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna will start his second straight game Wednesday.

Ozuna had one hit in his major-league debut Tuesday. He'll bat fifth during Wednesday's game against Mets starter Dillon Gee. Ozuna was hitting .333/.383/.810 in 42 at-bats in Triple-A this year. He should get playing time as long as Giancarlo Stanton is on the disabled list. 

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes went 2 for 4 with a run scored and four RBI in Tuesday's win over the Angels.

Cespedes increased his RBI total to 14 despite an early season disabled list stint. He doubled and tripled to increase his slugging percentage to .509 despite a meager .228 batting average. Cespedes has now hit safely, scored and recorded an RBI in all three games since his return from the DL.

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera hit his fourth home run of the season Tuesday against the Twins.

Cabrera is hitting .363/.436/.559 in 102 at-bats this season. His .559 slugging percentage, while incredibly strong, would rate as his lowest in the category since 2009. Given how he's performed in the past, it's safe to assume the home runs will eventually start coming in bunches.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was finally able to get his bat going Tuesday night against the Brewers. McCutchen, who had two hits in his previous 26 at-bats entering the game, had four hits in the 12-8 loss.

Three of his four hits were singles, including one in the first inning that scored Starling Marte. He also had a solo home run in the sixth -- his third of the year -- off starter Marco Estrada.

McCutchen finished 4 for 5 with two RBI and a run scored. He is batting .247/.308/.423 over 97 at-bats.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley hit his first home run of the season Tuesday against the Phillies, a sign that he has found his stroke. Brantley opened the season with one extra-base hit (double) in 50 at-bats.

But in the last nine games, Brantley has four doubles, a triple and a home run in 41 at-bats, with seven RBI. Brantley has improved his batting averag from .240 to .286, putting him right in line with preseason expectations.

Brantley has yet to steal a base, but he's productive otherwise. He is a useful AL-only Fantasy option, and he's starting to look intriguing in deeper mixed-league formats. 

An MRI showed Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring. Stanton said the best-case scenario is he will return to the lineup in 2-3 weeks.

"I've got to be able to walk a normal pace first," Stanton said, per The Palm Beach Post.

The Marlins opted to go with prospect Marcell Ozuna over uber-prospect Christian Yelich with Giancarlo Stanton on the DL. That's their prerogative.

But as a Fantasy owner, I'd be much more excited if they had gone the Yelich route. Baseball America did rank Ozuna 75th among all prospects coming into the season, but more because of his tools than his production. As a 22-year-old with plate discipline issues who hit only .266 at Class A last year, he's likely to struggle regardless of what kind of start he got off to at Double-A Jacksonville.

He may run into a few home runs just because of his raw power, but ultimately, I think the Marlins will want to swap him out for Yelich, who appeared to be the more major league-ready of the two with a .364 batting average and 1.269 OPS in 44 spring at-bats. And it may happen even before Stanton returns.

If you dropped the Giants' Brandon Belt because of his slow start, you're not alone. In leagues where he was affordable enough for me to draft him, I've had to part ways with him because of limited roster space.

But I'm keeping an eye on him. Another slow start doesn't negate his good work late last season, nor does it make him a lost cause at age 25. In fact, you could explain it all away with that early season illness that caused him to lose 10 pounds. He fell behind early, put pressure on himself to catch up and only now is coming around with a .409 (9 for 22) batting average and two home runs in his last seven games.

Maybe. It's too early for me to rush out and grab him again, but it won't take much. Dropping a player isn't the same as giving up on him, and he's a perfect example why.

Marlins rookie outfielder Marcell Ozuna was immediately placed in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Mets following his promotion from Double-A Jacksonville. Ozuna started in right field and hit sixth behind center fielder Justin Ruggiano.

Ozuna is expected to see the bulk of playing time in right field with Giancarlo Stanton on the disabled list.

"We just saw him play at Double-A. He’s looked good," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said, per The Palm Beach Post. "Defensively, he’s very good. We have a choice of outfielders, but right now, Marcell is the guy."