MLB Player News

Ozuna went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 6-3 win over the Dodgers.

Ozuna ended August with seven homers over his last 10 games, and he kept that prodigious power streak going right into September. Across his last 11 games, he's batting .488 (20-for-41) with 12 extra-base hits. Prior to the surge, Ozuna was batting .249 and slugging .477 -- those marks are now at .272 and .543, respectively. He's up to 32 homers, 76 RBI, 71 runs scored and 20 doubles through 118 contests.

McCutchen isn't in the Pirates' lineup Friday against St. Louis.

McCutchen will get a breather Friday after going just 1-for-20 across his last six games. Endy Rodriguez will fill in as Pittsburgh's designated hitter, allowing Jason Delay to start behind the plate.

Soler (hip) isn't in the Marlins' lineup Friday against Washington.

Soler will now miss his third straight start after being pulled from Tuesday's game with right hip tightness. Manager Skip Schumaker said Soler was potentially available off the bench Thursday, so there's a chance he could make a pinch hit appearance Friday. Jake Burger will serve as Miami's DH while Soler sits, allowing Garrett Hampson to start at third base.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Soler (hip) could be available off the bench Thursday at Washington, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Soler is out of the lineup for a third straight day because of lingering right hip tightness, but he's apparently starting to feel a little better and seems like a good bet to return in full Friday. The 31-year-old has hammered 35 home runs in 125 games this season with Miami.

Soler was scratched from the lineup Thursday at Washington due to lingering right hip tightness, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Soler had been slated to return as the Marlins' designated hitter after missing two games, but now the 31-year-old slugger is out for a third straight contest. Jake Burger will instead fill the DH role as Josh Bell covers first base and Garrett Hampson enters the lineup at third base.

Soler (hip) is back in the lineup Thursday against the Nationals.

Soler will serve as the Marlins' designated hitter and bat second versus the Nats and right-hander Joan Adon after missing two games due to hip tightness. The 31-year-old slugger boasts an .843 OPS with 35 homers and 71 RBI in 125 games this season for Miami.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Rockies.

Ozuna's two-out sixth-inning blast off Kyle Freeland was his 31st home run of the season and his seventh in the past nine games. Though he's part of a star-studded Atlanta lineup, Ozuna's contributions shouldn't be overlooked. He's produced a .301/.371/.641 slash line with 14 home runs, 35 RBI and 32 runs since the All-Star break, paying handsome dividends for those who invested a late-round pick into him on draft day.

Choi (ribs) has begun a swinging progression, MLB.com reports.

Choi landed on the injured list two weeks ago with a left rib strain but is starting to ramp things back up. He could be back by mid-September if all goes well and would figure to share first base and designated hitter duties with Garrett Cooper once ready.

Vogelbach went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and a walk Wednesday in a 6-5 extra-inning win over the Tigers.

Vogelbach put the Mets on the board in the second inning with a 386-foot solo shot and added a walk in the third. However, with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, manager Buck Showalter pulled Vogelbach in favor of Francisco Alvarez, who grounded into a double play. That move was against a southpaw, so it came as little surprise, as Vogelbach has gone 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts against lefties this year. The slugger has gone deep six times and driven in 13 runs over his past 16 games, so he's not the worst option for fantasy managers looking for power on the waiver wire, though it's a foregone conclusion that he'll rarely play against left-handed hurlers.

Martinez (groin) will embark on a two-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City before likely returning for the Dodgers' upcoming series against Washington, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The Dodgers' series with the Nationals will run from Sept. 8-10, though it is unclear exactly which game Martinez will be activated for. The veteran slugger landed on the 10-day IL with left groin tightness on Aug. 22 and was slashing .200/.304/.300 across 23 plate appearances in August prior to getting injured.