MLB Player News

Stanton (side) expects to return to the Marlins' lineup during the team's upcoming series with the Pirates, MLB.com reports.

He once again got in some batting practice prior to Sunday's game while adding some drills on the field, and appears to be on the verge of returning to the lineup. Meanwhile, some further details of the injury have emerged as Stanton indicated he initially got hurt in a collision with Marcell Ozuna on May 15 and aggravated the injury making a throw Tuesday against the Rays. Stanton will return with a .214/.326/.481 line with 12 home runs and 26 RBI through 43 games.

Ozuna stayed hot in Sunday's win over the Braves, finishing 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and three runs scored.

The 25-year-old has been on fire of late, as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games and slugged his third homer of that stretch. Ozuna is also batting .344 on the season and has already equaled his home run total from all of last year, putting him firmly on track for a career year if he can keep it up.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Rangers on Sunday.

The center fielder continues to struggle this season with a career-low .803 OPS in 194 at-bats, but he seems to be figuring this out of late. McCutchen has hit safely in nine of the past 11 games, and even though he's hit a mere .244 over that span, the fact that he's making contact suggests his numbers should improve sooner than later.

Stanton (side), who is out of Sunday's lineup, plans to take batting practice prior to the game, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

If everything goes well for Stanton, the hope is that he'll be able to return to action during the upcoming four-game series against the Pirates. Stanton is currently scheduled to miss his fifth straight game Sunday, but seems to be trending in the right direction. Fantasy owners may stand to benefit by checking out the Marlins lineup Monday before make a decision on Stanton for the upcoming lineup period.

Stanton (side) is out of the lineup for the fifth straight game Sunday against the Braves, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Stanton continues to deal with discomfort in his side, proving this can often be a nagging injury, especially for hitters with that type of bat speed. Ichiro Suzuki will get another start at right field in his stead -- his fourth in the last five games. Considering Stanton hasn't even been able to pinch hit during his absence, he should be thought of as questionable, at best, for Monday's series opener against the Pirates.

Soler is out of the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Soler had made back-to-back starts in left field, and has started eight of the last nine overall games at that position. He'll get a routine day off Sunday, however, giving way to Matt Szczur in the outfield. Despite homering in Friday's contest, an 0-for-2 effort Saturday brought his average down to .211 on the season.

Belt (ankle) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Saturday's 10-5 victory over the Rockies.

The 28-year-old first baseman showed no ill effects from the ankle ailment that forced him to miss Friday's series opener, as he managed his first multi-hit effort since May 17. Belt's hitting has faltered just slightly in May, but he's still slashing a solid .286/.412/.460 for the season in 161 at-bats.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a home run Saturday against the Cardinals.

The reigning NL MVP has slowed down a bit in recent weeks, but he remains an absolute must-start in all fantasy formats. Harper's average sits at .245, but he's on a nice three-game hitting streak with two homers over that span. His ability to get on base is also a plus, as his .420 OBP ranks eighth in the NL.

Carpenter is in the lineup for Saturday's matchup with the Nationals.

Carpenter was activated from the paternity list Saturday, and will immediately be put in the lineup. He will start at first base and bat leadoff. The Cardinals will face off against Gio Gonzalez; whom Carpenter is just 1-for-13 against in his career.

Belt (ankle) is in the lineup for Saturday's matchup with the Rockies, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt suffered a mild ankle sprain sliding into second base on Wednesday, which caused him to miss Friday's series opener. However, he will return to action Saturday batting fifth in the order and playing first base. He will face off against the right handed Eddie Butler, whom Belt is 3-for-5 against in his career.