MLB Player News

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter enjoyed another solid performance as he plated three runs in Sunday's series finale against the Giants.

Carpenter erupted in the fourth inning with two singles, one of which drove in two runs to help cap off a nine-run frame. He also added an RBI double in the eighth and finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored and three RBI in a 14-3 victory. He is hitting .320/.414/.480 through his first six games.

After posting a career-high 31 homers last season, Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen connected on his first long ball of 2013 in Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers.

He launched a two-run shot off starter Hyun-Jin Ryu in his first at-bat and finished 1 for 4 in the 6-2 loss. McCutchen is batting .238 (5 for 21) with four RBI and four stolen bases through six games.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was expected to rest his ailing elbow Sunday in Houston. Cespedes didn't start the game but was needed after Josh Reddick was injured. 

Cespedes entered the game in left field and Seth Smith shifted to right in his place. Cespedes went 0 for 2 and is hitting .120. 

He could have used the complete day off considering he's 3 for 25 and 0 for 11 in his last three games with five strikeouts. 

Astros outfielder J.D. Martinez got the start in left field Sunday in a home game against the Athletics. He hit third in the order and had a base hit. 

Martinez went 1 for 4 with a run scored in the 9-3 loss. The 25-year-old, who has started the last two games, has gone 3 for 8 without an RBI. He's hitting .273 in 11 at-bats. 

Here we go again with Brandon Belt. After a torrid spring, one in which he hit .410 with eight homers and 19 RBI in 24 games, Belt is off to a slow start to the regular season, going hitless in his first 10 at-bats (three games).

Although I still believe Fantasy owners should hang onto Belt, there's no need to rush him into lineups for Week 2 (April 8-14). The Giants might have seven games, but they are set to face three left-handed starters -- Jorge De La Rosa, Jeff Francis and Travis Wood. History tells us Belt struggles against left-handed starters, against whom he has a career .235 average with three homers and 11 RBI in 64 games. Also, the three games against the Rockies this week are not at Coors Field.

Matt Carpenter will get the start at second base for the Cardinals Sunday, the club announced.

Carpenter has played all five games for St. Louis this season at third base. He's expected to take over full time at second base when David Freese returns from the disabled list. Ty Wigginton gets the start at third base Sunday.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who has dealt with some elbow discomfort, was given Sunday's game in Houston off to rest, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Cespedes tweaked the elbow during a swing in Saturday's game, but the A's claim he's sitting Sunday due to rest and not due to the injury. Cespedes was not listed on the trainer's report as an injury. 

A day off makes sense for Cespedes, who has gone 1 for 12 over the last three games with six strikeouts. He's batting .130 this season overall with two homers and five RBI among his three total hits. 

He should get back in the lineup Tuesday in Los Angeles after the team has a day off Monday. 

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes told reporters after Saturday's game that he is dealing with some discomfort in his elbow that might require a day off Sunday, as a precaution. Cespedes flinched after taking a swing during his last at-bat in the seventh inning. He finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in a 6-3 win.

"I'm not worried about the elbow," Cespedes said, per the Contra Coasta Times. "I'm not worried about the strikeouts. I'm not worried about anything."

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera provided a spark at the plate for Detroit during Saturday's contest against the Yankees

Cabrera reached base five times, including an RBI single in the fifth inning. It was his first RBI of the season. He went 4 for 4 for the 24th time in his career and finished with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI in an 8-4 victory. The 29-year-old raised his batting average from .200 to .333. this season.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 4 -- his first multi-hit game this season -- during Miami's 7-3 loss to the Mets on Saturday. Stanton laced two singles while also halting a four-game skid with at least one strikeout (seven total).

The 23-year-old slugger has just two extra-base hits this season (both doubles), extending his typical slow starts in April from a power standpoint. Last season, Stanton did not his first homer until April 29 after needing 14 games before he went deep for the first time during the 2011 campaign.