MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a triple and a three-run home run in Saturday's win over the Nationals.

Ozuna tagged Jordan Weems for a three-run shot in the fifth inning, marking the outfielder's 38th long ball of 2023. Over his last 12 games, Ozuna is 17-for-49 (.347) with four home runs and 15 RBI while striking out at a 26.4 percent clip.

Morel went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Brewers.

Following up his 16-homer season as a rookie in 2022, Morel now has 26 home runs this year, and he's also boosted his batting average and OPS in his second MLB campaign. The 24-year-old has struck out more than 30 percent of the time in his first two seasons, however, which is something fantasy managers will want to see him improve upon moving forward.

Harper isn't in the Phillies' lineup for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Mets.

Harper turned in an 0-for-3 performance during Philadelphia's Game 1 loss, and he'll now get a breather for the nightcap. Weston Wilson will pick up a start at first base instead and bat sixth.

Pederson will be on the bench against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Pederson seldom starts against southpaws, so it's no surprise to see him on the bench Saturday along with the rest of the Giants' lefties. Austin Slater will serve as the designated hitter.

Garver will hit the bench Saturday against Seattle.

Garver hasn't caught a game since Sept. 2 but has served as the designated hitter for all but two games since that date. After a pair of hitless outings, he's seemingly due for a rest, so Robbie Grossman will take his spot in the lineup.

Ford will hit the bench against lefty Andrew Heaney and the Rangers on Saturday.

Ford hasn't started once against a southpaw all season, and he won't get to break that trend on the penultimate day of the regular season. Sam Haggerty will handle designated hitter duties in his absence.

Stanton remains on the bench for Saturday's game against the Royals, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

With the Yankees eliminated from the playoffs, the team is prioritizing giving at-bats to younger players, sitting the 33-year-old Stanton twice in a row. Even if the Yankees did have something to play for, they might not want to give everyday at-bats to a player who's hit .191/.275/.420 in 101 games this season. His 89 wRC+ sets a career low by a wide margin over his 116 wRC+ from last season and doesn't bode well for him heading into his age-34 campaign.

Vientos will be on the bench for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Phillies, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Down the stretch of a lost season, Vientos has been given plenty of opportunities to stake his claim for a significant role next season, starting 18 consecutive games prior to this one. He homered five times over that stretch, but his .224/.257/.448 slash line (90 wRC+) wasn't exactly convincing. Brett Baty will be the designated hitter for the afternoon contest.

Belt will sit Saturday against the Rays.

Belt has homered on back-to-back days but will nonetheless head to the bench, potentially because the Blue Jays fear the Rays could turn to a lefty after opener Shawn Armstrong. George Springer will rest his legs as the designated hitter, with Cavan Biggio starting in right field.

Belt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 11-4 win over the Rays.

The veteran first baseman went yard for the second straight game, launching his 18th homer of the year in the fourth inning off Erasmo Ramirez. Belt missed most of September due to a stomach bug and back trouble, but he looks 100 percent as the Jays close in on a wild-card berth, going 4-for-14 in four games since returning to the lineup with three extra-base hits and four RBI.