MLB Player News

Carpenter, who went 1-for-5 with an RBI double, a walk and a run in a win over the Braves on Tuesday, will remain in the leadoff spot for the time being despite his season-long struggles, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. "He's got the right approach for it," manager Mike Shildt said. "He's an All-Star-caliber player, an MVP-caliber player. He understands what that looks like. We all want to see the results, including him, [be] more consistent."

Carpenter's season line remains a middling .201/.319/.338 through 182 plate appearances, but the Cardinals' skipper appears set to stick with the veteran at the top of the order for the time being. While Carpenter has been a notoriously slow starter in several seasons during his career and most recently dug himself out of a similar hole in 2018, he has experienced some regression in key areas thus far this season. Langosch notes the infielder's barrel rate is down from last year's 13.7 percent to 8.3 percent, while his hard-contact rate is down a full 10 percentage points to 34.7 percent.

Pederson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win against San Diego on Tuesday.

The third-inning blast off rookie sensation Chris Paddack put the Dodgers on the board in a game they went on to win 6-3. Despite hitting only .220 this season, the atypical leadoff man is now tied for fourth in the majors with his 13 home runs. Incredibly, the 13 homers represent half of his overall season hit total (26).

Reyes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two runs in the Padres' 6-3 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Reyes clubbed his 12th homer of the season in the first inning and later added his sixth two-bagger of the year, both of which came off Clayton Kershaw. He's in a nice groove at the dish, with three multi-hit performances in his last six games. Reyes cranked three homers in that span, raising his slash line up to .273/.303/.591 through 132 at-bats.

Blackmon went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Tuesday against the Red Sox.

Blackmon took Brandon Workman deep in the eighth inning to tie the game at four. It was his ninth home run of the season and fifth in his last nine contests. While still not running, Blackmon's power has rebounded after a slow start to the campaign as he has a .580 slugging percentage across 187 plate appearances.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer and two runs scored in Tuesday's 14-3 win over the Braves.

Ozuna wasted little time in getting the Cardinals on the board with his first-inning blast off Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz. Ozuna would score again on Yadier Molina's fifth-inning homer. The left fielder is batting .237 with 12 homers, 37 RBI and 32 runs scored through 40 games this season. He entered Tuesday's game with a career-low .233 BABIP, which is likely contributing to his struggles to hit for a good average.

Harper said his left knee was a bit sore following Tuesday's loss to the Brewers, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Harper had a pair of sliding catches that took him into the wall down the right-field line during Tuesday's game, though he never actually exited the contest. The 26-year-old will be re-evaluated Wednesday.

Belt (knee) is starting at first base and batting fourth Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt had been held out of the starting lineup for two straight contests due to knee soreness, but he clubbed a two-run homer Sunday in a pinch-hit appearance and evidently feels healthy enough to return following a scheduled off day.

Reyes went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 10-7 loss to the Rockies.

The Padres trailed by seven runs entering the top of the ninth inning, but Reyes made the final outcome more respectable when he took Seung Hwan Oh deep with two outs and two runners on. The home run was Reyes' fifth in his last 12 games, with the slugger maintaining a 1.073 OPS during that stretch. Reyes' power surge looks like it will keep him in the lineup on an everyday basis for the foreseeable future, as Manuel Margot currently looks like the odd man out in San Diego's crowded outfield.

Belt (knee) hit a two-run home run in a pinch-hit appearance Sunday against the Reds.

Belt has missed the last two contests due to a knee issue, but he came through with a clutch two-run blast in the seventh inning to tie the game. The 31-year-old should have a chance to rejoin the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays after benefiting from a scheduled off day Monday.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a walk and three RBI to help the Rockies to a 10-7 win over the Padres on Sunday.

Blackmon helped key a big day for the Rockies offense with two big flies from atop the order, both of which came off Nick Margevicius. He's now working on a 10-game hitting streak, which has helped boost his slash line up to .305/.368/.573 to go along with eight homers through 164 at-bats.