MLB Player News

Harper will play in another simulated game in New York over the weekend, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper continues to trend in the right direction, as manager Dusty Baker said he was impressed with the way Harper looked in a simulated game Tuesday. The key remains how Harper feels Wednesday, however; if everything checks out, the 24-year-old will get a couple of days to rest before participating in another simulated contest over the weekend. If all goes well, general manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged Harper could return before the end of the regular season, though Rizzo maintained that the Nationals are taking things day-to-day. Obviously the Nationals won't push him to return given they've already clinched a playoff berth, but they'd like to get him some game action before the postseason rolls around.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Despite going 7-for-13 with a homer and three RBI over his previous three starts, Ozuna will get Tuesday's game off. Ichiro Suzuki will start in his place in left field, batting leadoff.

Carpenter is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Carpenter will head to the bench for a breather after starting nine consecutive games at the hot corner, slashing .240/.500/.560 with two homers and a 13:12 BB:K over that stretch. Jedd Gyorko will make his first start at third base since Aug. 26 in his place.

Harper (knee) was able to take batting practice again Tuesday, and the Nats are optimistic he'll be able to return next week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Harper originally said he had his eye on returning for Game 1 of the NLDS, but after taking a few days of batting practice on the field, it appears he could return before the regular season concludes. The Nationals won't push him to return seeing as they've already clinched a playoff berth, but they most likely want to get a few games under his belt before October rolls around. Harper has been sidelined since mid-August with a knee injury, so even if he does return before the postseason, the Nats would likely use him cautiously in the last week.

McCutchen collected three singles Monday, finishing 3-for-4 against Milwaukee.

Over his last 13 games, McCutchen is slashing .321/.357/.547 in 56 plate appearances. The center fielder has seven hits in 21 at-bats against Tuesday starter Chase Anderson, including a homer Sept. 13. Pittsburgh's offense continues to struggle but McCutchen has regained his stroke after a disappointing August.

Ozuna went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and two RBI during Monday's win over the Mets.

After an inconsistent start to September, Ozuna has gone 7-for-13 with three RBI and three runs through his past three games. The 26-year-old outfielder has already cruised to career-high marks across the board with 34 homers, 113 RBI, 83 runs and a .305/.367/.539 slash line.

Turner went 1-for-4 with his 21st home run of the season in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Phillies.

Turner followed up Chris Taylor's inside-the-park homer with a more traditional variation of the long ball in the first inning. The veteran third baseman is unlikely to match last year's high-water mark of 27 homers, but his .539 slugging percentage is actually 46 points higher than his previous career best.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run, four RBI and three runs scored during Monday's win over the Mets.

Stanton entered the game with a .542 OPS and a single round tripper through 40 September at-bats, so it was encouraging to see the slugger belt a line-drive homer and stuff the stat line Monday. With 55 bombs, 117 RBI, 115 runs and a .279/.374/.632 slash line, Stanton has showcased what his fantasy ceiling looks like when he's healthy for a full season.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Giants.

Martinez produced the D-backs' only runs of the night with a two-run blast in the sixth inning, which was his career-best 40th of the season. The 30-year-old ranks third in baseball behind Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge in that category, and perhaps more impressively, all that power production has come since May 12, as Martinez missed the first month and change of the season while recovering from a mid-foot sprain he suffered in spring training. Had health prevailed all season, Martinez may have joined Stanton in making a run at becoming a member of the 60-homer club.

Harper (knee) took batting practice on the field for the first time Sunday and is hoping to return for Game 1 of the NLDS, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

The timetable for Harper remained unclear to this point, but it appears the star right fielder is just aiming to be ready by the time the postseason rolls around. It makes sense for him to take his recovery slow with the Nationals having already clinched a playoff berth, but an absence through the remainder of the regular season would have a monumental impact during the stretch run of the fantasy season.