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.

Morel went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple and a run scored in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Morel was productive from the No. 8 spot in the lineup, but the Cubs as a whole mustered only six hits and three runs in the defeat. The 24-year-old has recorded 44 extra-base hits among his 92 total hits this year, including 25 home runs, boosting his OPS to a solid .809. He should have a few more chances to contribute before the regular season wraps up.

Martinez went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's 6-2 win over the Giants.

Martinez's power binge continues -- he's homered seven times over his last 11 contests to get to 33 long balls for the season. His blast Friday gave the Dodgers some added insurance in the sixth inning. The designated hitter is hitting .400 (16-for-40) during his surge, a stretch that has raised his batting average on the year from .261 to .274 and his OPS from .852 to .906. He's added 103 RBI, 61 runs scored, 27 doubles, a stolen base and two triples through 111 contests.

The Rockies signed Blackmon to a one-year contract extension Friday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Blackmon had been scheduled to become a free agent this winter at age 37, but he'll stay in Colorado for what will be his 14th major-league season. He was selected by the Rockies in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech and has tallied 1,688 career big-league hits, all in the purple and black. The new one-year deal carries a $13 million guarantee with another $2 million available in performance-based incentives, per Steve Adams of MLBTradeRumors.com.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 14-5 loss to the Rockies.

Martinez set an early tone with his first-inning blast, but the Rockies took control of the game in the third inning. This was Martinez's sixth multi-hit effort in his last 10 games, and he's hit six homers with 14 RBI in that span. The designated hitter is up to 32 long balls, 100 RBI, 60 runs scored, one stolen base and a .274/.325/.576 slash line through 110 contests this season.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two doubles, one additional RBI, one stolen base and two total runs scored in Thursday's 14-5 win over the Dodgers.

Blackmon filled the box score in a productive effort that began with a leadoff blast in the first inning. He also provided an RBI double in the seventh to cap a four-run rally. The 37-year-old has hit .268 (22-for-82) in September, and his homer Thursday was his first of the month. He's up to eight long balls, 40 RBI, 56 runs scored, three steals, 24 doubles and a .283/.370/.451 slash line through 93 games this season.

Harper was ejected from Thursday's game against the Pirates, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Harper appeared to check his swing on a full count in the third inning, but the third base umpire ruled that he went around. He voiced his displeasure with the decision and was ejected from the game as a result. Harper ended his day 0-for-1 with a walk.

Morel is absent from the lineup Thursday at Atlanta.

Jeimer Candelario will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter with Miles Mastrobuoni playing third base. Morel, who also sat Wednesday, has gone 3-for-26 (.115) with seven strikeouts over his last seven games.

Harper went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a solo home run and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-6 win over Pittsburgh.

After logging a pair of doubles earlier in the game, Harper provided the eventual winning run with a 427-foot homer off Jose Hernandez in the seventh inning. The 30-year-old Harper has been on fire down the stretch, going 9-for-18 with a pair of homers in his last six games. He's boosted his slash line to .296/.402/.503 with 21 homers, 84 runs scored, 72 RBI and 11 steals across 540 plate appearances this season.

Soler isn't in the Marlins' lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

After an 0-for-4 performance to begin the day, Soler will ride the pine to begin the second game of Wednesday's twin bill. Jake Burger will serve as Miami's DH while Jon Berti starts at third base.