MLB Player News

Stanton went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBI, two runs and a walk in Saturday's 9-6 victory over the Cubs.

Don't look now, but the Marlins slugger is finally showing some signs of life. He's recorded multi-hit efforts in five of his last eight games, and has a pair of homers and eight RBI over that span as well. Considering he was hitting .192 as recently as June 12, even Stanton's current .219/.319/.443 line is cause for optimism.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBI against the Dodgers on Saturday.

McCutchen led off the scoring for the Pirates with a solo shot in the first inning, and then gave the team the lead for good with his three-run shot in the sixth inning. This was only the second time he's homered in a game since May 27, though he now has 14 homers on the season.

McCutchen's thumb has played a role in his current slump, according to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

McCutchen aggravated a pre-existing thumb injury in early June, but didn't miss much time as he played through the pain. Since the injury, he's hit .197 (14-for-71) in 19 games. The thumb has improved, but Sawchik says the injury led to poor results and a loss of confidence. Confidence doesn't appear to be an issue Saturday, as he's already hit two homers in consecutive at-bats against the Dodgers.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Saturday's tilt with Pittsburgh.

Having not missed game action since June 6, Pederson will get a routine day off with Trayce Thompson filling in for him in center field. Pederson has heated up since mid-June, homering five times and reaching base safely in 11 of his last 14 games. The 24-year-old outfielder has slashed .300/.340/.680 with a 1.020 OPS over than span.

Cespedes (ankle) is in the lineup Saturday against the Braves.

He appeared to tweak his ankle on a pickoff attempt at first base Friday, but Cespedes remained in the game and has been cleared to man his normal spots Saturday. Cespedes has been the saving grace of the Mets' offense this month and really all season long, slashing .288/.358/.576 with 18 homers in 265 plate appearances.

Belt returned to the lineup and went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run in Friday's 5-4 win over Philadelphia.

Belt hit a bases-clearing double to put the Giants ahead in the seventh inning Friday. He continued his breakout campaign that features an impressive .305/.410/.537 slash line through 72 games. The only criticism of his season could be the lack of steals after swiping nine bags in 2015. As long as he continues to produce in the heart of the lineup, his owners will give him a pass.

Ozuna is out of the lineup Saturday due to wrist soreness, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

The extent of the issue is uncertain, but a wrist injury to a slugger like Ozuna is bound to cause some concern. He has homered four times in his last six games though, so it doesn't seem this is anything that been bothering him very long. Ozuna has improved his plate skills significantly this season, resulting in 61-point jump in batting average from last year.

Ozuna is out of the lineup Saturday against the Cubs, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Ozuna, who's seen game action in 53 straight games, will cede center field duties to Ichiro Suzuki on Saturday. Ozuna continues to anchor the middle of the Marlins' lineup, going 8-for-19 with four homers over his last six games. He'll likely be back in center for the series finale with the Cubs on Sunday.

Turner went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run in Friday's 8-6 loss to the Pirates.

The veteran third baseman plated Corey Seager with a double in the third and subsequently scored on a balk by Jameson Taillon. He then brought Scott Van Slyke home on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, marking his fifth multi-RBI game of June. The performance was a nice rebound for Turner, who'd gone 0-for-8 over the prior two games. He's enjoyed a nice power surge during June, a month that's seen him blast seven home runs overall.

Cespedes (ankle) will remain in the Friday's matchup with the Braves, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

It was originally reported that Cespedes was being taken out of the game, but it appears he will tough it out. He tweaked his ankle on a pick off attempt at first base. While he is remaining in the contest, his status for Saturday's tilt remains to be seen.