MLB Player News

Harper isn't starting in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Nationals.

Harper was productive in the first game of Friday's twin bill, as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk. However, Kyle Schwarber will serve as the designated hitter while Matt Vierling starts in left field during the nightcap.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a stolen base, a walk and two total runs scored in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Brewers. He was also hit by a pitch.

Canha tied the game at 4-4 with his fifth-inning blast. He was plunked in the seventh and stole second. The 33-year-old had 17 homers and 12 steals in 2021, but he has just five long balls and one steal through 52 contests this season. The veteran outfielder is slashing .295/.378/.404 with 26 RBI, 30 runs scored and five doubles across 209 plate appearances, and he's held down a regular role as New York's starting left fielder.

Morel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a stolen base and two strikeouts during Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Padres.

Although the Cubs lost their 10th consecutive game Thursday, Morel hit a leadoff home run and stole a base in the defeat. The 22-year-old has crossed the plate in four of the last five games and has hit .238 with two homers, four runs, four RBI and a stolen base during that time.

Morel went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 19-5 loss to the Padres.

Morel took reliever Craig Stammen deep in the sixth inning for a solo shot -- his fourth of the season -- and plated two more runs on a one-out base hit in the bottom of the second. The two-hit, three-RBI performance ended a brief skid at the dish for Morel, who had recorded just one base knock in 15 at-bats over the prior four contests. The rookie is in the lineup for Thursday's series finale, manning center field and batting leadoff.

Belt went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Wednesday against the Royals.

Belt made his first start since May 21 after being sidelined by a knee injury. He went yard in his second plate appearance to lead off the fourth inning and record his fifth homer of the season. Belt has a .341 wOBA and 122 wRC+ across 125 plate appearances on the campaign.

Ruf is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Ruf had started each of the Giants' last seven games at first base and went 6-for-25 with two home runs and two doubles over that stretch, but he'll retreat to the bench Wednesday with Brandon Belt making his return to the lineup after being activated from the 10-day injured list earlier this week. Belt is serving as a designated hitter Wednesday but should eventually settle back in as a full-time first baseman, which will likely result in the righty-hitting Ruf seeing most of his starts against left-handed pitching moving forward.

Blackmon went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Guardians on Tuesday.

The Rockies' leadoff man went yard for the 10th time this season -- and third in his past eight games -- to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh. The blast came off Guardians ace Shane Bieber and led to him being pulled from the game one batter later. The 35-year-old left-handed hitter is slashing .251/.307/.439 and should continue to benefit from hitting at or near the top of the order in Coors Field.

Belt (knee) was activated from the 10-day injured list but isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Royals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt has been sidelined for more than three weeks due to inflammation in his right knee, but he'll rejoin the active roster ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Kansas City. The 34-year-old isn't starting with lefty Kris Bubic pitching for the Royals, but the first baseman should start Wednesday against righty Jonathan Heasley.

Vientos (knee) returned from Triple-A Syracuse's 7-day injured list Sunday and went 1-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in the club's 10-1 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Vientos is back in action after missing a week and a half due to knee discomfort. The 2017 second-round pick is slashing .248/.331/.482 with eight home runs through his 160 plate appearances with Syracuse this season.

Canha will sit Tuesday against Milwaukee.

Canha owns a .930 OPS over his last seven games, going hitless just once over that stretch. He'll rest his legs Tuesday, with Jeff McNeil starting in left field.