MLB Player News

Pederson went 4-for-4 with two home runs, two additional runs, four RBI and a walk in Sunday's 13-3 win over the Cubs.

Pederson had a massive day at the dish, reaching base five times and knocking a pair of two-run shots. He had two four-hit games during the weekend series against the Cubs, raising his average from .228 to .282 in the process. Pederson went deep for the first time since May 12 and now has seven long balls with 24 RBI and a .934 OPS through 123 plate appearances.

Ramirez went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and one RBI in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Rangers.

Ramirez has logged three multi-hit efforts, three steals and seven RBI through seven contests in June. The 28-year-old is a lock to be in the lineup versus southpaws, but he's also served as the designated hitter versus three of the last six right-handers the Rays have faced. Ramirez has earned the added playing time with a .306/.351/.517 slash line overall, which includes a solid .269/.327/.440 line against righties. He's added nine home runs, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored and a career-high four steals over 194 plate appearances.

Belt (hamstring) underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed inflammation, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Belt sat out Sunday against the Twins after exiting Saturday's loss with left hamstring tightness, but the issue doesn't appear to be a significant concern. Manager John Schneider said after Sunday's matchup that Belt remains day-to-day for now. He'll have at least one day to rest before Tuesday's series opener in Baltimore.

Harper went 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 victory over the Dodgers.

Harper reached safely in all four plate appearances Sunday and has 22 walks through his first 34 games. The veteran's 2023 campaign was delayed while working his way back from Tommy John surgery that cost him the end of 2022, but he's been sharp since making his season debut, slashing .287/.382/.434 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 23 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Stanton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Josh Donaldson will handle designated hitter duties in the series finale while Stanton takes a seat in what appears to be little more than a maintenance day. Since being reinstated from the 10-day injured list June 1, Stanton has gone 3-for-20 (.150 average) with a solo home run in his first six games back with the Yankees.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that a timeline for Alvarez's (oblique) return from the 10-day injured list is "still up in the air a little bit," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. "It will take a week at least to get a feel for how long it's going to be," Brown said, referring to the length of Alvarez's absence.

Oblique injuries are notorious for carrying volatile recovery timelines, so it's no surprise that Brown already seems to be discounting the possibility of Alvarez returning from the IL when first eligible June 19. On a positive note, Alvarez's injury has been described as right oblique discomfort rather than a strain, though it's possible that his diagnosis could change if he's sent in for further tests in the coming days. While Alvarez is out, the red-hot Mauricio Dubon could gain traction in an everyday role in left field, which would leave Corey Julks and Chas McCormick to jockey for playing time at designated hitter.

Colorado placed Blackmon on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a fractured right hand, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

The Rockies haven't provided a timeline for Blackmon's return from a fifth metatarsal fracture, though the nature of the injury portends an absence of longer than 10 days, even though the injury is to his non-dominant hand. Blackmon had been serving as the Rockies' primary designated hitter, but the team could turn to a rotation of players to fill in for the veteran while he recovers from the hand fracture.

Belt (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Belt left Saturday's 9-4 loss after feeling tightness in his left hamstring and will now miss at least one game due to the injury. According to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca, Belt underwent an MRI following his departure from the contest, but the Blue Jays have yet to provide an update on the severity of the injury. The team appears to be viewing Belt as day-to-day for the time being.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

The lefty-hitting Vogelbach finds himself on the bench for the fourth consecutive game, with three of those absences coming against right-handed pitching. Given that he's limited to first base on the defensive end and doesn't even play that position particularly well, Vogelbach doesn't provide much value as a bench bat against right-handed pitching. If the Mets decide to commit to youngsters Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez as their primary options at designated hitter, Vogelbach could soon find himself at risk of losing his 40-man roster spot.

Jimenez (calf) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Jimenez is still experiencing soreness in his left calf and will sit out a third consecutive game. While the slugger rests up, Clint Frazier will handle right field and hit leadoff in the series finale with Miami.