MLB Player News
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Matt Carpenter DH | STL
Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Stays hot with two more hits
Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Brewers.
Carpenter is now 5-for-11 with three doubles, a home run, four RBI, three runs and a pair of walks over a modest but encouraging three-game hitting streak. The 31-year-old is sporting a 16.5 percent walk rate that's his highest since his initial 19-plate appearance big-league cup of coffee in 2011, but is striking out at a career-high 23.7 percent clip while making contact a career-low 71 percent of the time.
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Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT
Marlins' Marcell Ozuna: Launches seventh homer Monday
Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Rays.
The homer was his first in eight games, giving him seven on the year, and Ozuna is starting to heat up again, reaching base eight times in his last four contests to push his slash line back up to .293/.353/.554. The 26-year-old is well on his way to a breakout season.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Set for rehab assignment Monday
Pederson (groin) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Monday, David Vassegh of 570 LA Sports reports.
This will mark Pederson's first game action since landing on the disabled list last week. If all goes well with his rehab assignment, the Dodgers are optimistic the 25-year-old will be able to rejoin them for this weekend's series in San Diego.
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Brandon Belt DH | TOR
Giants' Brandon Belt: Takes seat Monday
Belt is not in the lineup Monday against the Dodgers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
With Clayton Kershaw headed to the mound for the Dodgers, Belt will head to the bench as Mike Morse fills in at first base while Gorkys Hernandez takes over in left field. This comes as no surprise, given that Belt is just 3-for-51 (.059) with 27 strikeouts in his career against Kershaw.
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Bryce Harper 1B | PHI
Nationals' Bryce Harper: Sets new MLB record with four more runs
Harper went 2-for-4 with two walks, a solo home run and four runs scored in Sunday's 23-5 rout of the Mets.
He crossed the plate an incredible 32 times in April, setting a new MLB record for that particular month by shattering the previous mark of 29 set in 1997 by Larry Walker. Harper's nine homers, 26 RBI and .391/.509/.772 slash line are pretty good, too. With the Nats' offense firing on all cylinders right now, expect the 2015 NL MVP to continue piling up stats.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Raises average over .400
Turner went 3-for-4 with his 11th double of the season in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Phillies.
Turner's hitting streak is up to a career-high 16 games now, and all he's done in the season's first month is hit. He's up to a .404 average with one homer and 12 RBI in 99 plate appearances and has already recorded four three-hit games in the first month. Although the power numbers aren't there yet, Turner looks completely healthy after offseason knee surgery.
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Brandon Belt DH | TOR
Giants' Brandon Belt: Fans four times in loss Sunday
Belt went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Padres.
Belt has been one of the better hitters in San Francisco's struggling lineup to begin the season, but his slash line is now down to .250/.373/.467. The left-handed slugger was facing a left-handed pitcher, so we'll give him a pass here. He has the ability to reach the 20-homer mark for the first time in his career if he can loft more balls in the air. Consider him a lower-tier corner infielder in most deep mixed affairs.
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Matt Carpenter DH | STL
Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Plates three runs in losing bid Sunday
Carpenter went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run and three RBI during Sunday's loss to Cincinnati.
With nine RBI through his past four games, Carpenter is doing his best to put his quiet start to the season behind him. Additionally, moving to the heart of the Cardinals order should provide the veteran a shot at posting a career-high mark in the RBI column without sacrificing too many runs.
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Joc Pederson DH | TEX
Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Expects to be activated from DL on Friday
Pederson (groin) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday or Thursday and will likely be activated from the 10-day disabled list Friday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.
It appears Pederson won't have to miss more than the required 10 days following his groin injury that landed him on the DL on April 24. So long as he suffers no setbacks during his minor-league rehab assignment, he'll be activated prior to Friday's game against the Padres.
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Justin Turner DH | CHC
Dodgers' Justin Turner: Sitting out Saturday
Turner is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Phillies, Eric Stephen of True Blue LA reports.
It appears to be a routine day off for Turner, who has started the last eight games for the Dodgers. The third baseman is off to a great start on the season, batting .381 with 10 RBI and a .947 OPS. Chris Taylor will start at the hot corner in his absence.