MLB Player News

Blackmon (hand) believes he could be back sooner than his initially projected mid- to late-July return date, MLB.com reports.

Blackmon -- who went on the injured list a week ago with a fractured right hand -- has experienced improvement following treatment and the use of a bone stimulator to the point that he thinks he might beat his timetable. Injury optimism from players is not uncommon, especially early on in the recovery, but it's certainly a good sign that he's feeling better.

Morel went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Orioles.

Following a slump in late May and early June, Morel has gotten hot over his past eight contests with four home runs, 13 RBI and three multi-hit performances. The 23-year-old has a .291/.342/.700 slash line with 13 home runs, 28 RBI and 26 runs in just 31 games this year.

Harper is not in the lineup for Sunday's game at Oakland.

Harper has four multi-hit efforts in the past seven games but will take a seat for the first time in June. The 30-year-old has an .812 OPS through 40 games this season but has just three homers, and it's been 92 plate appearances since he last went deep May 25 in Atlanta. Kyle Schwarber will serve as the designated hitter Sunday while Cristian Pache starts in left field.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

McCutchen has a .211/.415/.289 slash line through 38 at-bats in June and will head to the bench Sunday after starting the previous four games. Bryan Reynolds will rest his legs as the designated hitter while Josh Palacios receives a start in the outfield.

Soler is starting in right field and batting second Sunday against the Nationals.

Soler has hits in six of his past seven games and has a 1.688 OPS with three home runs during that span, and he'll attempt to continue his hot streak Sunday in Washington. Jesus Sanchez will receive the day off while Garrett Cooper serves as the designated hitter.

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

The 30-year-old started the past two games after taking a week off to work on his swing, and he'll take a seat Sunday with lefty Matthew Liberatore on the mound for St. Louis. Vogelbach went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and a walk during the pair of starts, and he should get regular chances against right-handed pitching going forward since Mark Vientos was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Tommy Pham is batting fifth as the designated hitter Sunday.

Vientos was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.

The 23-year-old appeared in just two of the Mets' past six games and will now head back to Triple-A with Pete Alonso (wrist) making his return from the injured list. Vientos played in just 16 games during his month-long stint in the majors and had a .178/.224/.244 slash line in 49 plate appearances. He'll attempt to get back on track with Syracuse, where he had a 1.104 OPS prior to his promotion.

Soler is not in the starting lineup versus the Nationals on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The Marlins will hold out both Luis Arraez and Soler for their series finale against the Nationals. Garrett Cooper is lined up as the designated hitter and will hit fourth while Soler grabs a seat.

The Brewers reinstated Winker (neck) from the 10-day injured list Saturday.

Winker has had a rough time at the plate with the Brewers this season and has yet to hit a home run through 108 at-bats. He seemed to rediscover his power swing during his rehab assignment, slugging three home runs during his seven games in Nashville. Winker will likely reclaim his role as the Brewers' main DH, and his return will force Jon Singleton off the 40-man roster.

Vogelbach went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-1 win over the Cardinals.

After sitting out the last week to try and fix issues with his swing, Vogelbach returned to the lineup and showed the work hadn't been in vain, blasting a Miles Mikolas sinker down the right-field line in the sixth inning. The long ball was Vogelbach's first since May 7 -- he'd batted .120 (6-for-50) in between with just one RBI -- and only his third of the year, but given the Mets' need for power while Pete Alonso (wrist) is sidelined, the 30-year-old will continue to get chances despite his season-long struggles.