MLB Player News

Harper is batting second in the lineup for Saturday's affair versus the Rangers, Dan Kolko of MASN reports.

Instead of his regular placement in the three hole, Harper will be playing in right and batting second, behind Trea Turner and ahead of Daniel Murphy. Although this is a minor adjustment, Harper could stay in this position depending on its success, especially with Jayson Werth (toe) out at least another week.

Ozuna went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in Friday's 12-7 win over the Pirates.

He continues to produce multi-hit performances, and Ozuna is slashing .407/.426/.644 over his last 14 games with four homers, eight RBI and 10 runs. The 26-year-old now sports a .954 OPS on the season that is an incredible 181 points better than his previous career high.

Stanton went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 12-7 win over the Pirates.

The blast, his 16th of the season, went over the batter's eye in PNC Park and traveled an estimated 449 feet, Stanton's third-longest homer of 2017. The slugger has stayed off the DL so far and is on pace for one of the most productive campaigns of his career, but given that he's only played 150 games in a season once since 2011, his continued good health can't be taken for granted.

Turner (hamstring) was activated from the disabled list Friday, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

As anticipated, Turner will return from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since mid-May. He'll likely resume his normal spot in the heart of the Dodgers' order as he looks to build on his outstanding .379 batting average. Brett Eibner was sent to the minors to make room on the roster for him.

Cespedes (hamstring) is expected to be activated Saturday prior to the Mets' doubleheader with the Braves, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

The Cuban slugger is expected to act as the 26th man for the doubleheader and appear in one of the two games. This is a great sign for Cespedes' health, as the Mets have been taking things very slowly with him since he aggravated the hamstring injury in late April. Things will be interesting once he returns in full, however, as Michael Conforto has played extremely well in his absence, which likely means Curtis Granderson would be moved into a bench role moving forward.

Harper was 3-for-4 with one RBI, a walk and one strikeout Thursday against the Orioles during the Nationals' 6-1 win.

He was 2-for-13 following his suspension for charging the mound last week before Thursday. Consider it a good sign that Harper seems acclimated back to the daily swing of things.

Cespedes (hamstring) will resume his rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie on Thursday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Cespedes was able to run at full speed earlier in the week, clearing the way for him to rejoin St. Lucie after suffering a setback during his first rehab stint with the High-A affiliate in late May. It's unclear how long Cespedes will remain on his rehab assignment, but the Mets will likely tread cautiously with the slugger given his previous setbacks. His return to the Mets seems to be on the horizon, though a more concrete timetable should become available as he progresses in his rehab assignment.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to Cincinnati.

Carpenter snapped a 14-game homer drought Wednesday, so it was encouraging to see him hit another bomb Thursday. He sports a disappointing .216/.345/.426 slash line for the year but has been able to buoy his fantasy value with serviceable counting stats: 11 home runs, 30 RBI and 27 runs. Considering he posted a .285/.377/.464 line over the previous five years, Carpenter is ripe for a hot stretch.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-1 win over Cleveland.

The Rockies leadoff man has been one of the best offensive weapons in the game since mid-April. In his last 44 games, Blackmon is hitting .368 with nine home runs, 38 runs and 38 RBI. He's even added in four SBs for good measure. For the season, his .985 OPS ranks seventh in the National League. In a lineup filled with offensive stars, Blackmon is primed to continue his excellent production.

Carpenter is batting leadoff Wednesday against the Reds, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

This marks the first time that Carpenter will sit atop the order in 2017 after spending lots of time there in years prior. It's unclear if this is a short-term fix with Dexter Fowler getting a night off or if manager Mike Matheny is pulling the plug on Fowler as the team's leadoff hitter, but nonetheless, Carpenter should be in line for more run-scoring opportunities if he can get on base in front of Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty.