MLB Player News

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with his 19th homer Friday against the Padres.

He's cooled off since the All-Star break, slashing .250/.373/.396 with two homers and three stolen bases, but he's still had a strong year. The nine steals have been a pleasant surprise after McCutchen stole only six bags in 13 attempts last year, and his .890 OPS in 2017 is his highest since 2014. The odds of Pittsburgh moving McCutchen prior to the deadline have increased somewhat, given the team's recent slide, but it's still unlikely a trade happens prior to the offseason.

Belt was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Dodgers with wrist soreness, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

Belt missed two games earlier this month with the problem and it appears to have cropped up again prior to Friday's contest. The lefty is having his best month of the season at the plate, hitting .264 with an .828 OPS, so hopefully it's nothing that will require an extensive loss of playing time. Buster Posey takes his spot at first base Friday, allowing Nick Hundley to fill in behind the plate.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a grand slam during Thursday's win over St. Louis.

Arizona and fantasy owners have to be thrilled with Martinez's recent outburst with the Diamondbacks. He's now hit four homers and drove in 11 runs through his past four games, and there's no reason to doubt him continuing his year-long offensive binge. Chase Field is a great hitting environment, and batting behind Paul Goldschmidt -- and his .439 on-base percentage -- is a cushy fantasy setup.

Harper clubbed two homers in a 3-for-5 showing Thursday against the Brewers.

The superstar was lifted after six innings of utter dominance by the Nationals, but Harper managed to leave his mark with a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo shot in the third. He also added an RBI double, helping him drive in four runs total. Harper now has a .338 batting average, 27 homers, 79 RBI and 86 runs scored on the season, keeping him in the upper echelon of hitters in the league.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with his 11th home run of the season in Wednesday's win over the Twins.

The 25-year-old slugger has been on a power binge since returning from the disabled list June 13, slashing .282/.393/.631 with nine homers over the 36-game span. Pederson's slow and injury-plagued start to the season is in the rear-view mirror, and he is now performing like the power threat many envisioned when he was drafted at the beginning of the year. Don't let his pedestrian .240/.351/.471 triple slash fool you -- he has been valuable enough over the last month-plus to be startable in almost any fantasy format.

Carpenter went 2-for-5 with a walk, a double, a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 10-5 win over the Rockies.

The All-Star break seems to have done wonders for the 31-year-old, as Carpenter is slashing .333/.388/.444 in his last 12 games. His homerless streak now stands at 26 games, but if he continues his recent surge it's only a matter of time until he puts another ball over the fence.

Stanton went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two RBI and three runs scored during Wednesday's win over the Rangers.

Stanton is in the midst of a power binge with 12 long balls, 20 RBI and 20 runs through his past 17 games. As a result, the slugger has grabbed the league lead in homers and is well on his way to a career-best showing across the board.

Ozuna went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, five RBI and four runs during Wednesday's win over Texas.

The huge showing has Ozuna up to a .315/.371/.557 slash line with 23 home runs, 77 RBI and 58 runs. He's locked into the heart of a capable lineup and in the midst of a career-best showing. It would be surprising to see a significant downturn in production going forward.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers, a walk and four RBI against the Braves on Wednesday.

Thanks to the quirky way the schedule has coincided with his trade out of Detroit, Martinez has faced the Braves in six of his last eight games -- and he's hit five homers off their pitching. Now that he's over the hand/wrist ailment that derailed his arrival in the desert, expect him to crush plenty more home runs in his new digs.

Cespedes (leg) is in the lineup for Wednesday's matchup with the Padres, batting third and playing left field.

The slugging outfielder was removed from Tuesday's contest prematurely due to leg fatigue, but it appears that a night of sleep was enough to get him back and ready for game action. He'll resume his normal spot in the lineup, pushing Curtis Granderson back to the bench.