MLB Player News

Harper (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

He'll be sidelined for the third consecutive game overall and a second straight on account of a blister on his left hand. Harper received antibiotics to treat the blister, so he could be ready to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Rangers if his treatment has taken full effect by then.

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a 7-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday.

Vogelbach pinch hit for Michael Chavis in the eighth inning and brought the Pirates to within a run. It was his eighth home run of the year and 18th RBI. The left-handed slugger was on the bench to start the game with lefty pitcher Alex Wood on the mound for San Francisco.

Mercedes was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Mercedes made a brief splash at the start of last season as a 28-year-old rookie, but his overall .271/.328/.404 slash line in 68 games was merely good for a 101 wRC+, a number which isn't good enough for a player who shouldn't feature anywhere other than designated hitter. He's spent all of this season with Triple-A Charlotte, where he's hit .230/.376/.425 in 25 games. The Giants are quite good at building a roster that gets the most out of a set of imperfect players, but whether or not they'll eventually carve out a meaningful role for Mercedes remains to be seen.

Vogelbach will sit Saturday against the Giants.

Vogelbach hits the bench against lefty Alex Wood, though he'd started against three of the previous four left-handers the Pirates faced, so it's not clear that he's slipping back into a platoon role. Michael Chavis will serve as the designated hitter Saturday, with Yu Chang taking Chavis' usual spot at first base.

McCutchen isn't starting Saturday's game against the Reds.

McCutchen will get a rare day off after he went 4-for-9 with three runs, an RBI, three walks and a strikeout over the last three games. Christian Yelich will serve as the designated hitter while Jonathan Davis enters the lineup in center field.

Harper will sit Saturday against the Nationals due to an infected blister on his left hand, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Harper finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row, as he sat for the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader. That may have been a scheduled game off, but Saturday's absence doesn't seem to have been planned. The issue apparently flared up overnight, so Harper will sit for at least one game while taking antibiotics to treat the issue. The Phillies have an off day Monday, so it's possible he sits Sunday as well in order to get three straight days to heal. Nick Castellanos will take his designated hitter spot while Matt Vierling starts in right field.

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

Pederson started in the last four games and went 3-for-10 with a homer, two runs, two RBI, two walks and four strikeouts. However, Luis Gonzalez will shift to left field while Darin Ruf starts in right against southpaw Jose Quintana.

Belt isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Pittsburgh, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt went 3-for-6 with a solo home run, a double, two walks and a strikeout over the last three games but will retreat to the bench with left-hander Jose Quintana on the mound for the Pirates on Saturday. Wilmer Flores is starting at first base and batting second.

Blackmon went 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk in Friday's victory over the Padres.

Blackmon's two RBI came on a triple in the first inning, where he sent Yonathan Daza to the plate and a sixth-inning single that scored Connor Joe. The veteran outfielder picked up two runs of his own, both of which came thanks to C.J. Cron homers. Blackmon has been swinging a hot bat lately, picking up a hit in 10 of his last 11 games, including six multi-hit games. Although his season batting average sits at .267, Blackmon is slashing .329/.365/.543 in June.

Pederson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-0 win over the Pirates.

Pederson doubled the Giants' lead in the fourth inning with a solo shot off Pirates starter Zach Thompson. The long ball was Pederson's first since June 3. The outfielder is up to 14 homers, 34 RBI, 28 runs scored, five doubles and two stolen bases with a .269/.343/.563 slash line through 181 plate appearances. He's on the strong side of a platoon role in left field, but he'll rarely see starts against southpaws.