MLB Player News

Ozuna went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and two runs against the Phillies on Tuesday.

We all knew Ozuna had power, but he's impressing with a .314 batting average that's giving his fantasy value a major boost. The question is, can it be sustained? Ozuna is a high-BABIP hitter, but he's sitting on a career high in that category now and has benefited from a fortune-favored HR/FB that's nearly double his career rate. His stats will probably level off, but that doesn't mean Ozuna won't remain a valuable fantasy contributor.

Harper has been suspended four games for his role in Monday's brawl, but he will appeal, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Until he hears back from the commissioner's office regarding the appeal, Harper will be allowed to continue playing for Washington as normal. He will presumably be in his usual spots Tuesday to take on Jeff Samardzija, as Harper was said to be unharmed coming out of Monday's game. Hunter Strickland, who hit Harper on the hip with a fastball, received a six-game ban.

Cespedes (hamstring) took 40 pitches of live batting practice Tuesday, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

This was the earlier point at which the Mets thought Cespedes could hit again following his weekend setback, so it appears he could be on track to return from the DL over the team's next road trip. The timetable is still very tentative, but if Cespedes can keep progressing along without any setbacks, he'd likely return to the lineup as the DH when the Mets visit Texas on June 6.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with a walkoff solo home run in the ninth and two runs scored in Monday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

After getting a few days off to clear his head recently, McCutchen has now homered in two of his last three games and seems rejuvenated at the dish. Despite hitting just .215 on the season, the 30-year-old outfielder has 23 runs scored, 24 RBI and five steals in 207 plate appearances. While it certainly seems like the decline is full effect for McCutchen, he's showing some signs of turning his season around.

Stanton went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and a walk in Monday's 4-1 win over the Phillies.

The slugging outfielder's third-inning hit brought home Dee Gordon with the Marlins' second run of the night. He's now hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, banging out five multi-hit efforts over that span. Stanton also has eight RBI in his last eight contests, contributing to his impressive total of 19 in May.

Harper did not suffer an injury in his brawl with Hunter Strickland and the Giants on Monday, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Harper said the only thing he noticed after the fight was a scratch on his arm, which he attributed to teammate Anthony Rendon's attempts to get him out of the scuffle. A suspension may still be coming, but don't expect Harper to miss any time due to injury.

General manager Sandy Alderson said he's hopeful that Cespedes (hamstring) will be able to rejoin the Mets in 7-to-10 days, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

After suffering a setback over the weekend, the Mets are now hoping Cespedes will be able to return from the disabled list during the team's next road trip, though that is a very tentative timetable. "We are going to take it conservatively with him and see where he is over the next two or three days, and our hope is he would be back in a week to 10 days, but that is conjecture," Alderson said. If that timeline holds, he'd likely slide back into the lineup as the designated hitter when the Mets travel to Texas on June 6.

Stanton went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs during Sunday's win over the Angels.

Stanton has hit second in each of the past five games and gone 10-for-24 during that stretch with two homers, four RBI and three runs. Other sluggers -- Kris Bryant and Jose Bautista -- have succeeded in the two-hole, and Stanton's fantasy value won't be significantly impacted if he remains there long term. For the season, he's up to a .280/.341/.545 slash line with 13 round trippers, 34 RBI and 26 runs.

Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that he doesn't expect Pederson (concussion) to come off the disabled list during the Dodgers' seven-game road trip that begins Monday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

It was revealed earlier Sunday that Pederson was still experiencing some mild concussion symptoms stemming from his collision in the outfield with Yasiel Puig on Tuesday. The Dodgers seem content to let Pederson remain in Los Angeles to recuperate while the club heads to St. Louis and Milwaukee this week. The hot-hitting Chris Taylor is expected to serve as the Dodgers' primary option in center field for the duration of Pederson's absence.

Pederson continues to exhibit mild concussion symptoms, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson's lingering symptoms suggest he won't be able to return from the concussion disabled list as soon as he's eligible, but according to David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports, he could be available for the series in Milwaukee that begins June 2. Until then, Chris Taylor should continue to see regular work in center field.