MLB Player News

Belt said Wednesday that his right knee is feeling great after he underwent surgery earlier this month, and he's optimistic about his ability to continue playing in 2023, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. "I know I have a lot left in me and that's what I want to show everybody," Belt said.

Due to the chronic problems Belt has had with the knee in recent years, there had been some thought that retirement could be in the cards for the 34-year-old, but his positive response to surgery has seemingly left him prepared to continue his career. Belt still has several hurdles to clear in his recovery from surgery, but the expectation is that he'll have a relatively normal offseason following a two-month rehab process. Belt, who hit .213 with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 78 games before being shut down for good in late August, will be a free agent this offseason and is unlikely to command more than a one-year deal on the open market, given his age and injury history.

Vogelbach isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs.

Vogelbach started the last two games and went 0-for-5 with two walks, but he'll be on the bench with left-hander Drew Smyly starting for the Cubs. Mark Vientos is serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Cardinals.

McCutchen gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and put them ahead for good with a two-run blast in the fifth. While he's batting just .227 (5-for-22) across his last six games, he's gone yard three times in that span, knocking in six runs. The veteran outfielder is up to a .244/.312/.400 slash line with 17 homers, 65 RBI, 63 runs scored and eight stolen bases through 120 contests overall.

Ozuna isn't in the lineup Tuesday against the Giants.

Ozuna will sit for the second straight game Tuesday in favor of Eddie Rosario, who will bat seventh. Rosario is 4-for-4 over the last two games, so it seems Atlanta is simply opting for the hotter bat.

Morel is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

Morel has hit a rough patch at the plate, going just 6-for-44 (.136) over his last 16 games, so he will sit out Tuesday for the third time in six days. David Bote will claim a spot in Tuesday's lineup with Morel opening the contest on the bench.

Madris was designated for assignment Tuesday.

The Pirates optioned Madris to Triple-A Indianapolis in late August, and they ultimately decided to remove him from the 40-man roster.

Collins was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Collins was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays on Sept. 7, and he will join the big club less than a week later. He primarily plays behind the plate, but with two other catchers on the roster, he could see action at first base and as the designated hitter from time to time.

Ozuna is not listed in the lineup for Monday's game against San Francisco.

Ozuna has a .940 OPS during September, but he will sit for the second time in three days Monday. In his place, Eddie Rosario will start the game in left field and bat eighth.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Saturday that Soler (back) is unlikely to return from the 10-day injured list before the end of the season, MLB.com reports. "Soli's kind of been a little bit 'feel 100 percent, feel 100 percent, feel a little something, feel 100 percent, feel 100 percent, feels a little something,'" Mattingly said. "It seems like [a return this season] is probably out the window, too."

Just last week, Soler resumed full baseball activities at the Marlins' spring training facility in Jupiter, Fla. and then rejoined the big club over the weekend for further evaluation, but he doesn't seem to have received favorable feedback from the Miami training and coaching staffs. Though Soler isn't believed to be dealing with any major setback, the Marlins are seemingly content to let the 30-year-old rest his back and get an early head start on the offseason so he can report to spring training at 100 percent health. Soler, who joined the Marlins in March on a one-year, $12 million deal that includes two player options, wraps up his first season in Miami with a .207/.295/.400 slash line to go with 13 home runs, 34 RBI and 32 runs in 72 games. Since he didn't produce at the level the Marlins probably expected before landing on the shelf July 22 with lower-back spasms, Soler seems likely to exercise his $15 million option for 2023.

Turner went 2-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in an 11-2 win against San Diego on Sunday.

Turner got Los Angeles on the board with a solo home run off San Diego starter Joe Musgrove in the fifth inning and added a grand slam to cap a six-run seventh. The multi-hit effort is the 37-year-old's fifth of September, and he's slashing a robust .375/.447/.875 with four long balls in nine contests this month.