MLB Player News

Martinez (hand) remains out of the lineup Saturday against the Nationals.

Martinez was hit by a pitch in his Diamondbacks debut and is now set to miss his third straight start as a result. Fortunately, X-rays were negative and a followup MRI was clean as well, so it shouldn't be long before the 29-year-old is back in action. He has proven to be an excellent source of power and batting average since his breakout season in 2014, and the move to Arizona offers hope that Martinez can improve his rate stats even further.

Carpenter went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a run in Friday's 11-4 win over the Cubs.

Factoring in Friday's production, Carpenter is now slashing .309/.439/.537 out of the leadoff spot this season, a line partly comprised of 16 doubles, five home runs and 19 RBI. He's been red-hot in July as well, already raising his season average 21 points to .252 while posting six multihit efforts. The only missing element in his current stretch has been the long ball, as the veteran infielder's last homer came on June 24.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with two walks, three runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 13-5 win over the Rockies.

It's his first multihit performance since the All-Star break, extending McCutchen's current on-base streak to 12 games. He's arguably been the most valuable hitter in baseball since the calendar flipped to June, slashing .384/.481/.642 in his last 42 games with nine homers, four steals, 32 RBI and 37 runs, and Cutch's resurgence is a big reason why the Pirates suddenly find themselves back in the thick of the NL Central playoff race.

Martinez (hand) underwent an MRI on Friday, which came back negative, Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports reports.

Although the hand contusion seemed like a minor injury for Martinez, these test results confirmed that he won't be out for long. He could make his return to the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals, but the Diamondbacks may choose be patient with their big-ticket acquisition's recovery. In Martinez's stead, Daniel Descalso earned a start in the outfield during Friday's series opener.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Braves, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

Pederson will take a seat while the Dodgers face left-hander Jaime Garcia on Friday for the series opener. In his place, Enrique Hernandez draws the start in center while batting sixth.

Martinez (hand) is not in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Nationals.

Martinez will continue to recover from a left hand contusion as he takes a seat for the second straight day. The outfielder should be considered day-to-day moving forward, while David Peralta draws the start in right field in his place.

Blackmon (leg) is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Pirates, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet reports.

Blackmon exited Wednesday's contest after dealing with cramping due to dehydration, but should be fully capable for Friday's series opener at Coors Field. Since the All-Star break, Blackmon has gone 12-for-25 with three home runs and six RBI at the plate.

Martinez (hand) is not in the lineup Thursday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

The new acquisition still is nursing a left hand contusion after being hit by a pitch Wednesday. Martinez should be back in the coming days, though the Diamondbacks may take their time with their new bopper to get him right. Chris Herrmann will spell him in right field

Cespedes went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

He's been hit with minor hip and hamstring injuries lately, so Cespedes is accumulating dings, but they don't seem to be impacting him too much. However, he's had a hard time staying healthy in general this year, which is why Cespedes is still stuck on nine homers over his meager total of 47 games in 2017. He hasn't hit one in close to a month, dating all the way back to June 23, so the Cuban's fantasy owners are certainly hoping he can stay on the field more consistently. A second-half power bender like the one he went on after being traded to the Mets two seasons ago wouldn't hurt either.

Martinez, who left Wednesday's game in Cincinnati after swinging at a tight, inside pitch, has a left hand contusion. X-rays were negative and he's listed as day-to-day, according to the Diamondbacks' television broadcast.

This could end up being a huge sigh of relief for the team's big trade piece, especially when you consider what Arizona gave up for Martinez in order to make a better run at a playoff spot. He actually wanted to stay in the game, but manager Torey Lovullo thought it better to take the cautious route. We'll see if Martinez is able to suit back up for Thursday's series finale.