MLB Player News

Harper, who is batting second as the designated hitter Monday in Colorado, is nursing a sore right elbow and will serve as the Phillies' designated hitter during the three-game series against the Rockies, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The 29-year-old also served as the designated hitter Sunday against the Marlins, and it's unclear when he picked up the injury. Regardless, the injury doesn't affect Harper when batting, so for now he'll remain in the lineup without playing the field, which pushes Nick Castellanos to right field.

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Cardinals.

Though McCutchen has turned in nine seasons of double-digit steals during his career, none have come since 2018. That makes McCutchen's early involvement on the bases all the more surprising, as the 35-year-old has now nabbed steals in two straight games and has made three attempts overall through 10 games. McCutchen's willingness to run may be a byproduct of the Brewers' offensive struggles; Sunday's six-run effort was Milwaukee's top total through its first 10 games. Assuming the likes of Christian Yelich and Hunter Renfroe eventually begin to heat up and the Brewers are able to more easily manufacture runs, McCutchen may not be as inclined to go for steals, especially if he continues to stick as the club's cleanup hitter versus right-handed pitching.

Belt went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Guardians.

Belt gave the Giants some extra insurance when he homered off Guardians reliever Anthony Castro in the seventh inning. This was Belt's third long ball in just seven games this season. The first baseman went yard a career-high 29 times last year, and it appears his power surge has carried over. He's slashing .345/.441/.609 with seven RBI and six runs scored through 34 plate appearances in 2022.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 2-1 loss to the Padres on Sunday.

Ozuna took Yu Darvish 408-feet deep in the seventh inning for Atlanta's lone run. After missing the majority of last season, Ozuna has opened 2022 forcefully with four home runs and a .985 OPS through 11 games.

Pederson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a steal in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Guardians.

Pederson scored on an error in the fourth inning and was brought in again in the sixth on a Thairo Estrada double. He also swiped a bag before scoring his second run, his first steal since June 29 of last season. The lefty slugger is hitting .364 with five runs and six strikeouts through 22 at-bats.

Harper went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and two RBI in an 11-3 loss Sunday in Miami.

Harper singled in the third, hit a solo home run in the fifth and added a RBI double in the seventh. After starting the season 1-for-14, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player is 7-for-23 with five extra-base hits over his last six contests. Sunday was the second time he appeared as the designated hitter this season. Nick Castellanos started in right field in his stead.

Blackmon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Rockies' matchup with a lefty starter (Drew Smyly) coupled with the early start for Sunday's series finale (3:10 p.m. ET) were likely factors in the lefty-hitting Blackmon getting his second day off of the season. With Blackmon taking a seat, Yonathan Daza will check into an outfield that also includes Randal Grichuk and Connor Joe.

Beer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.

With southpaw David Peterson on the hill for New York, the lefty-hitting Beer will take a seat following two straight starts over which he went 4-for-7 with a double and a walk. Carson Kelly will serve as the Diamondbacks' designated hitter in Beer's stead.

Beer went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mets.

The Diamondbacks had a season-high nine hits Saturday led by by Beer's troika of knocks. Despite being the team's leading hitter (.400 batting average), the lefty-swinging Beer is limited to starts against right-handers. As such, he's not in the lineup Sunday against New York southpaw David Peterson. Beer batted .278 over 97 at-bats against lefties in 2021 while a member of Triple-A Reno.

Belt went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's win over Cleveland.

Belt recorded his fourth multi-hit performance of the campaign and made his presence felt in the fifth inning, when his single to center brought both Thairo Estrada and Steven Duggar home. The veteran first baseman also scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth following an RBI groundout from Wilmer Flores. Belt has not been facing lefties regularly this season but is making the most of his playing opportunities so far, as he's hitting .375 (9-for-24) in 2022.