MLB Player News

Harper wasn't cleared Monday to have pins removed from his surgically repaired left thumb and will be re-evaluated in one week, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Harper will meet with his surgeon next Monday with the hope that he's shown enough healing from the procedure to have the pins removed. If that ends up being the case, Harper could be cleared to resume light baseball activities, but the reigning National League MVP still looks to be several weeks away from returning from the 10-day injured list. The fact that the Phillies haven't yet moved Harper to the 60-day IL keeps a return before the final week of August in play.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in Sunday's victory over the Rockies.

McCutchen endured a 1-for-40 slump earlier in the season, but since snapping out of that skid he has gone 47-for-152 (.309) with seven home runs, nine doubles and 26 RBI over a 39-game span. With McCutchen on a roll, he is regularly occupying the cleanup spot against right-handers and hitting either third or leadoff against southpaws.

Morel went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double and an RBI in Sunday's win over the Phillies.

Morel had a good day at the plate but struggled on the bases, as he was picked off first and also caught stealing for the fifth time this season in 14 chances. Despite those missteps, it was still a productive fantasy performance for the rookie from the leadoff spot. Morel will likely have his share of growing pains the rest of the way, but he's batting .283 and playing regularly, so he's worth a look in most formats.

Ruf went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Dodgers.

Ruf had the Giants' biggest hit of the game, a game-tying, two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning. It's been boom or bust for Ruf lately, as his last four hits have all been homers. The 35-year-old is up to 11 long balls, 38 RBI, a career-high 44 runs scored and two stolen bases through 296 plate appearances. He's maintained a .225/.334/.391 slash line, and it appears he'll continue to share playing time at first base and designated hitter with Brandon Belt and LaMonte Wade.

Belt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt started the first three games out of the All-Star break -- including two against left-handed pitchers -- but he'll head to the bench Sunday with southpaw Clayton Kershaw taking the mound. Darin Ruf will handle first base in Sunday's series finale.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

It's the third straight game on the bench for Pederson, as Los Angeles sends out yet another left-handed starter in Clayton Kershaw. Yermin Mercedes will again start in left field for the Giants.

Ford was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.

Ford will return to the big leagues Sunday, replacing Adam Duvall (wrist) on the active roster after he was placed on the 10-day injured list. Ford has produced a .162 average with a double, five RBI and a run scored over 37 at-bats with the Giants, Mariners and Atlanta this season.

Morel is starting in center field and batting first in Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Morel has largely been batting ninth lately but moves up to the top of the order Sunday. The rookie has certainly looked the part of a leadoff hitter with a .279 batting average, nine home runs and nine stolen bases across 57 games. If Morel sticks in the No. 1 spot moving forward, his outlook gets a little brighter due to increased run-scoring potential.

Turner (abdomen) could require a trip to the injured list, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner has already been ruled out for the rest of the Dodgers' weekend series against the Giants, but he was initially expected to avoid an IL stint. However, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that a trip to the IL is a possibility. If Turner ultimately lands on the IL, Jake Lamb will likely see an uptick in playing time over the next week and a half.

Soler was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with lower-back spasms, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Mish says that he doesn't think the back injury is a season ender, but it has certainly bothered Soler for good chunks of the year. Soler is hitting .207/.295/.400 with 13 home runs in 72 games, failing to duplicate his strong play in the second half of last season with Atlanta. Luke Williams is starting in left field Saturday and former top pick JJ Bleday joined the big club to take Soler's roster spot.