MLB Player News

McCutchen will sit Monday against the Cardinals.

The Phillies are calling this just a routine day off for McCutchen, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, but it would hardly be a surprise if he finds himself on the bench more often going forward. His 17.5 percent walk rate remains excellent, but that's just about all that's going well for him at the moment, as he's hitting just .154 and slugging .231. The left-handed Brad Miller, who starts in his place Monday, would make for an obvious platoon partner, but the Phillies aren't expected to go in that direction quite yet.

Miller (neck) will lead off and play left field Monday against the Cardinals.

Miller finds himself starting for the first time since getting scratched Friday with neck stiffness, though he did appear off the bench in Sunday's contest. He'll start in place of Andrew McCutchen, who could begin to sit more frequently if he can't turn his .154/.300/.231 slash line around.

Harper went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 12-2 loss to the Rockies.

Harper hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats of the afternoon, including a 468-foot shot to right field, good for third-longest this season. The 28-year-old has been unconscious at the plate lately, slashing .483/.583/.1.000 with four home runs, six RBI, 10 runs scored and a 7:4 BB:K over his last eight games.

Winker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Winker went deep off Jack Flaherty to break the shutout in the seventh inning. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games Sunday, collecting six extra-base hits during that span. The lefty slugger owns a terrific .381/.435/.667 slash line with nine extra-base hits in 69 plate appearances this season.

Dickerson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Miami is opening the contest with a lefty pitcher (Ross Detwiler), so the lefty-hitting Dickerson will take a seat as the Giants hand the right-handed-hitting Darin Ruf a start in his stead. After a slow start to the season, Dickerson is beginning to settle into a rhythm at the plate; he's recorded eight hits in 22 at-bats over his last seven games.

Miller (neck) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Since delivering a four-hit game Wednesday against the Giants, Miller has yet to rejoin the lineup while battling neck soreness. Nick Maton will pick up another start at second base Sunday, though Miller will likely be available off the bench even as he continues to manage the injury.

Manager David Ross said that Pederson (wrist) could start light hitting Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Pederson has reportedly made good progress since being placed on the injured list effective April 21. Assuming all goes well when he starts to swing again, he will then head to the team's alternate site to get back to game speed.

Carpenter is not in Sunday's lineup against the Reds, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Carpenter saw an increase in playing time as Tommy Edman was forced to play in the outfield regularly due to injuries. However, the return of Tyler O'Neill has allowed Edman to return to second base on a regular basis, cutting into Carpenter's playing time.

Blackmon is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.

Blackmon has started seven consecutive games, but he will draw some rest for the series finale. He's hitless across his last 16 plate appearances, so the day off may also give him time to clear his head. Garrett Hampson shifts to the outfield and will hit second in Blackmon's absence, with Josh Fuentes entering the lineup to play third base and hit seventh.

MIller (neck) remains out of the lineup Saturday against the Rockies but is expected to be available off the bench, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Miller was expected to be in Friday's lineup before being replaced by Nick Maton due to a stiff neck. Maton will make another start at the keystone Saturday, but Miller could appear as a pinch hitter.