MLB Player News

Martinez was forced to leave Wednesday's game against Cincinnati after he was hit in the hand by a pitch, Jody Jackson of Fox Sports Arizona reports.

Martinez was attempting to check his swing but couldn't pull back in time and struck out on the pitch, adding insult to injury. Expect Martinez to undergo further evaluation, but he could be in for an extended absence after suffering some terrible luck in his first game as a Diamondback. Consider him day-to-day until team doctors can look at him.

Blackmon was removed from Wednesday's game with cramping in his upper leg and is expected to be fine going forward, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports.

The cramping was severe enough in the moment to force the Rockies to lift Blackmon in the middle of an at-bat. He was doing fine in the dugout afterwards, though, and considering the Rockies have a day off Thursday, expect him back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against Pittsburgh.

Blackmon was removed from Wednesday's game against the Padres in the middle of his sixth-inning at-bat due to what appeared to be a leg injury, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

No official word has come forth as to what the actual issue is, but he seemed to injure himself on the swing just before being removed. Blackmon was 3-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored before the incident. Until more details emerge, consider him day-to-day. Alexi Amarista replaced him in center field.

Martinez will make his inaugural appearance for the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night against the Reds. He'll bat fifth and play right field.

Martinez will slot right into the heart of the Diamondbacks' order that seems to closely resemble their regular lineup moving forward. He's sandwiched between Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Owings, which should help the slugging outfielder to rack up the counting stats in the hitter's haven known as Chase Field.

Pederson is not in the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox.

As has been the trend all season, Pederson will head to the bench with a left-handed pitcher (Carlos Rodon) taking the hill for Chicago. Trayce Thompson will man center field in his stead, but look for Pederson to slot back into the lineup when the Dodgers play Atlanta on Thursday.

Harper will sit Wednesday against the Angels, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

It's a disappointing off day for baseball fans, as many were excited to see a second night of the Trout vs. Harper battle. Instead, Harper will get the night off a day after going 4-for-4 and falling a double short of the cycle.

Belt (wrist) went hitless with three strikeouts and a walk in Tuesday's game against Cleveland.

Belt had missed the previous two games with a sprained wrist after being scratched from Sunday's game against San Diego. He will resume his duties at first base looking to improve on his .242 average at the plate now that he's back.

Harper went 4-for-4 with a triple, a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's win over the Angels.

Round one of this week's marquee showdown with Mike Trout went to the Nationals' slugger. Harper now has four homers in his last five games and has already matched last season's total with 24 blasts through 86 contests.

Carpenter went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run against the Mets on Tuesday.

Uncharacteristically a .231 hitter through his first 80 games of 2017, Carpenter has heated up in a big way lately, racking up 14 hits in his last 31 at-bats (.452), including five doubles -- pulling his average up to a more respectable .253. At the same time, he hasn't hit a home run since June 24; in that interim, he's posted an 18.8 percent walk rate and an 8.8 percent strikeout rate, suggesting that Carpenter may be making a conscious decision to put the ball in play more and pull up his average rather than trying to jack it out of the yard.

Martinez was traded to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday in exchange for Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King.

Shortly after word of the trade broke, the two team confirmed the deal, with the Tigers releasing an updated lineup with Alex Presley in right. Martinez is a free agent after this season, so he's just a rental, but he boosts the already-scary Diamondbacks offense to a new level. The move from a pitcher-friendly home park to one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the league could result in even more power than we've seen from the 29-year-old.