MLB Player News

Soler is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Reds.

Manager Joe Maddon has made it clear that Soler will receive most of the starts in left field following the season-ending injury to Kyle Schwarber, so this move is likely just to give him some rest and get left-handed hitting Tommy La Stella in the lineup against Raisel Iglasias, a right-handed starter. Soler has stepped up in Schwarber's absence, hitting .250/300/.438 with one home run and three RBI since the injury.

Blackmon (toe) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday.

Blackmon is suffering from turf toe and will need at least a couple weeks to recover. Catcher Dustin Garneau was recalled in a corresponding move. It is expected that Gerardo Parra will start in center field while Ben Paulsen plays left field in Blackmon's absence.

Belt smacked his second homer of the season in Wednesday's loss to the Rockies.

Belt has started 2016 off on the right foot, slashing .313/.421/.594 through nine games. He has shown flashes in the past, but hasn't been able to deliver due to inconsistency or injury. This may be the year he finally puts it all together, as he is in the prime of his career and surrounded by one of the best lineups he has ever been a part of.

Blackmon hurt his toe in Wednesday's game, which is why he is out of Thursday's lineup against the Giants, MLB.com's Thomas Harding reports.

He injured the toe diving back to second base and then exited late in Wednesday's game. Considering Blackmon has a history of turf toe, this is definitely worth keeping an eye on. Gerardo Parra, who is starting in center field Thursday, would likely take over in center going forward if Blackmon misses more time, and Brandon Barnes, Ben Paulsen and Ryan Raburn would be tasked with handling left field. Consider Blackmon day-to-day for now.

Blackmon is out of Thursday's lineup against the Giants.

He left Wednesday's game early, but is listed as a bench option for Thursday's game, so it looks like he's just getting the day off. Gerardo Parra will start in center field with Ben Paulsen moving to left field against righty Matt Cain.

Ruf (shoulder) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.

Ruf, if healthy, would have started at first base Thursday with the Padres starting southpaw Drew Pomeranz, but Ryan Howard will get the nod with Ruf still banged up. While Ruf's shoulder is still too sore for him to play a full nine innings, he may be able to pinch hit if needed.

Soler went 2-for-2 with an RBI, run, and walk against the Reds on Wednesday.

Soler pushed his batting average up to .200 with the effort. He is playing nearly every day in the wake of Kyle Schwarber's season-ending knee injury, but so far he has just five hits in 25 at-bats. On the plus side, he's struck out just six times, which is a much better strikeout rate than he's shown up to this point in his career.

Ruf said his shoulder was feeling better Wednesday after receiving a cortisone shot, Evan Webeck of MLB.com reports.

Ruf said he was not sure if he'll be able to play Thursday. The Phillies face lefty Drew Pomeranz and they would surely like to have Ruf in the lineup if he is ready to go.

After going hitless with two strikeouts in four at-bats Tuesday, McCutchen is batting .258 with no homers and one RBI.

Batting second, McCutchen is tied with the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez for the league lead in plate appearances (37). He's just missed hitting several homers, but his soft contact percentage (25.9 percent) is nearly double his career norm (13.7 percent). McCutchen is looking to start strong after a slow start last season but so far the results have been ordinary.

Ozuna is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.

Ozuna owns just a .510 OPS six games into the season, so manager Don Mattingly decided to give him a mental break Wednesday. Ichiro Suzuki will get the start in center field in Ozuna's place.