MLB Player News

Carpenter went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Braves.

Carpenter opened the scoring on the afternoon with a 406-foot shot to right in the first, giving him a homer in three straight games and his fourth over the last six. The veteran infielder has already boosted his average 21 points in six May games and knocked in six runs over that span as well, as he spearheads a Cardinals offense that appears to finally be awakening from a season-long slumber.

Stanton finished 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI during Sunday's 7-0 win over the Mets.

Stanton gave his club a lead it would never relinquish early on, belting a three-run homer to left field in the first inning and adding a solo shot in the third. The slugger had gone 11 games without a homer prior to Saturday, but he now has three in his last nine at-bats and could be on the verge of another power binge after a productive weekend series.

Manager Dusty Baker expects Harper (groin) to be back in the lineup Monday at Baltimore, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

With that, owners of one of the most prolific fantasy producers in all of baseball can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Harper sat out three contests with the groin issue after being removed from Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks, but clearly it's nothing serious. That said, the Nationals will be playing in an American League ballpark Monday and Tuesday, so there's always a chance Harper could slot in as the designated hitter.

Harper (groin) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals are continuing to take the cautious approach with their superstar right fielder, as Sunday marks the third consecutive game that Harper will miss due to his groin injury. Chris Heisey will draw the start in right field in Harper's absence. Though the injury wasn't expected to sideline him for long, we'll have to wait and see if the former MVP will be back in the lineup for Monday's contest against the Orioles.

McCutchen is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

With just three hits through his first six games of May, McCutchen will head to the bench Sunday for a scheduled day of rest. The former MVP has been a disappointment thus far in 2017, but hopefully Sunday's break will allow the veteran outfielder to come back rejuvenated for the team's upcoming seven-game road trip through Los Angeles and Arizona.

Manager Dusty Baker said Harper (groin) is feeling better and might be able to pinch hit Saturday, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

It sounds like Harper was lobbying to start Saturday, but Baker has decided to play it safe and hold his superstar slugger out of the lineup. A Sunday return sounds like a real possibility, but Harper's status for the series finale against Philadelphia won't be known until a couple hours prior to the 1:35 ET first pitch.

Pederson is not in the lineup Saturday against the Padres, David Vassegh of 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson will head to the bench with southpaw Clayton Richard scheduled to take the mound for the Padres, giving way to Enrique Hernandez in center field. Pederson went hitless in his first game back from the disabled list Friday, though he did draw a walk. He should be back on the lineup card for Sunday's series finale.

Harper (groin) is not in the lineup Saturday against the Phillies, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports.

Although the groin issue isn't thought to be anything overly serious, the Nationals aren't taking any chances with their superstar. Harper will be held out for the second straight game as Rafael Bautista gets his first major-league start in his place. The Nationals remain hopeful that Harper will be able to return to action before the weekend is over.

Carpenter went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer, three runs and three walks during Friday's win over Atlanta.

Currently sporting an 8-for-27 run at the dish with three home runs, eight runs, 12 RBI and a 1.241 OPS, Carpenter has rounded into form. Hitting third instead of leading off has provided plenty of RBI opportunities early on, and the veteran infielder has a good shot at topping his previous career-high mark of 84 from the 2015 campaign.

Harper (groin) should return to the lineup this weekend, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

The Nats aren't going to take any chances with their superstar slugger, but Harper's groin tweak doesn't appear to be serious. He has 12 career homers at Citizens Bank Park, so anyone with Harper shares has to hope his name is back on the lineup card Saturday.