MLB Player News

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler hit a solo home run in Sunday's win over Atlanta. 

The homer was his fifth of the year and first since May 29. He went 1 for 4 in the game with a walk. He's now hit in four straight games and has four RBI over that span. 

Soler added his second stolen base of the year. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was dropped to eighth in the batting order Sunday against the Diamondbacks for the first time all season. He had hit seventh in the two previous games.

Belt is 1 for 11 with five strikeouts in the first two games out of the All-Star break. He is batting .318 (14 for 44) with six doubles, three RBI, six runs, five walks, 13 strikeouts and two stolen bases in 12 July games.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of Sunday's lineup at Milwaukee, the team announced.

McCutchen was replaced in center field by Starling Marte, who will bat third. McCutchen is hitting .281 with three home runs and 12 RBI in his last 16 games.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter was not in Sunday's lineup against the Mets, the team announced.

He was replaced at third by Pete Kozma, who will bat eighth. Carpenter is hitting .161 with one home run and seven RBI in his last 15 games.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner went 3 for 5 with a run and a RBI in Saturday's win over the Nationals.

The three-hit performance was Turner's second in his last three games.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 1 for 4 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers.

Harper hit a two-run blast, his 27th of the season, in the ninth inning off Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen.

The Giants gave Buster Posey a day off from behind the plate on Saturday. 

Posey will play first base for the 22nd time this year and second time in the last three games. 

Regular first baseman Brandon Belt will move to left field for the 10th time. 

Andrew Susac replaces Posey at catcher. It's his 29th start and fourth in the last seven games. 

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon put his team on the board with a solo home run in the fifth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Rockies fell 4-2 to the Padres on Friday. The home run was Blackmon's 12th of the year.

Blackmon went 2 for 4 on the night, and also stole his 24th base of the year. The red-hot Blackmon is batting .455 with two homers and seven RBI over his last 10 games. 

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson started in left field in Tuesday's All Star Game. He was the first Dodgers' rookie to appear in the game since Hideo Nomo in 1995.

Pederson was also the first Dodger to start in left field since Tommy Davis in 1963. 

Pederson went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts in the game. 

Nationals' right fielder Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 in Tuesday's All Star Game. Harper has started the last two All Star Games and appeared in the last three. 

In his career, Harper is 0 for 6. No Nationals player has gotten an All Star hit since Dmitri Young in 2007.