MLB Player News

Carpenter (undisclosed) is back in the starting lineup Monday against the Reds.

The Cardinals did not offer up an explanation for Carpenter's absence Sunday, but that he's back in the mix for the series opener with the Reds after a one-day layoff suggests that the ailment wasn't a serious one. Carpenter will play second base and lead off for the Cards on Monday.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a solo homer Sunday at Oakland.

Soler's seventh bomb of 2016 gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning of a road win. He's now left the yard in two of his three games since returning from the disabled list, and he's slashing .232/.323/.423 on the year. Since hitting .292 in his rookie year, he's seen his batting average drop significantly in each of the last two seasons, though the 24-year-old certainly has time to turn things around.

Pederson is out of the lineup Sunday night against the Red Sox, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

The Dodgers will face a lefty in their second straight game Sunday evening, and Pederson will not end up starting either contest. Manager Dave Roberts has certainly limited his exposure to lefties this season, as Pederson has just four hits in 43 plate appearances, posting a .467 OPS. As a result, Pederson will once again give way to Enrique Hernandez in center field.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, Jenny Cavnar of Root Sports reports.

Ozuna will have the day off as Ichiro Suzuki starts Sunday's outing in center field. Ozuna will likely return to his starting spot Monday when the Marlins take on the Johnny Cueto and the Giants.

Stanton launched a 508-foot solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Rockies.

The blast was Stanton's 23rd on the year and notably the longest home run in Coors Field history. Overall, however, Stanton continues to limp along this season while batting a disappointing .242/.329/.490 over 359 at-bats. He's hit just three home runs in 21 games since the All-Star break.

Carpenter (undisclosed) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Braves, Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest reports.

Carpenter was lifted from Saturday's contest for a reason that wasn't made public, but the team is likely being overly cautious considering he just returned from an oblique injury Friday. With Carpenter on the shelf Sunday, Kolten Wong will get the starting nod at the keystone.

Harper (neck) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper was an early exit Saturday due to a stick neck, so it's not all that surprising to see the outfielder rested, especially with a team day off on tap for Monday. The Nationals actually find themselves with two days off this week, but will begin a stretch of playing on 20 consecutive days this Friday. Now is as good of a time as ever to rest the team's No. 3 hitter, and until Harper is back, Chris Heisey stands to see extra reps in right field.

Harper was pulled from Saturday night's game against the Giants with a stiff neck, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Harper, who has been dealing with the neck issue for a few days now, went 0-for-3 (all strikeouts) before getting lifted in the sixth inning. Manager Dusty Baker didn't sound too concerned: "Anybody who has ever had a stiff neck, I mean, you know you're not yourself," Baker said. "So I took him out for precaution. We'll see if it's any better tomorrow." Harper will be re-evaluated Sunday.

Carpenter, who recently returned from an oblique injury, left Saturday's game early, Fox Sports Midwest reports.

Seeing Carpenter leave his second game since being activated off the disabled list should be a concern, but manager Mike Matheny said he checked out fine with the medical team.

Belt went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI and two runs in a 7-1 victory over the Nationals on Saturday.

The first baseman doubled in a run during the fifth then smashed a solo bomb in the ninth. Belt has recorded two three-hit games already this month. He is hitting .287 with 13 homers, 55 RBI and 53 runs in 373 at-bats.