MLB Player News

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins due to ankle soreness, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Soler is seeing a doctor on Tuesday after twisting the ankle in Monday's game, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. It's possible he could be sent to the disabled list if the injury is deemed serious enough.

Soler's absence is causing significant juggling by manager Joe Maddon, as Kris Bryant is moving to left field while Jonathan Herrera plays third base. Junior Lake will man the other corner-outfield spot for the Cubs.

The Cubs are road favorites (-135) in Miami.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has started nine of his team's past 11 games at third base, but though he's settling into a primary role at the position, he said on Monday that he doesn't need the title of primary starter, the Orange County Register reports.

"I just look at our roster and how many good players we have," Turner said. "I want to play every day. But I look at the depth we have. There’s plenty of options for (manager) Donnie (Mattingly). I definitely feel I’m playing more than a quote-unquote role player. But I was playing more than I usually had when he (Juan Uribe) was here. The trade went down and nothing really changed other than I lost the best teammate on the planet."

Mattingly said he still feels he needs to monitor Turner's playing time in order to not overplay him, as too much action leads to knee and hamstring issues.

"I think (Mattingly’s attitude) is more the history of being in New York only playing 60, 70 games for a couple years," Turner said. "Maybe he just feels he needs to be cautious about going too fast from that to playing a lot. I don’t feel like that’s an issue."

Turner picked up a hit, a walk and two runs in Monday's 11-4 win over the Rockies. He has hit .298/.387/.510 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 104 at-bats.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt hit a two-run double in the first inning of Monday night's 4-3 loss to the Pirates. 

Belt wouldn't have had the opportunity to knock in these two runs if Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang didn't commit a throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Belt finished the game 1 for 4 and struck out twice. 

This is the first game since May 23 that Belt has posted more than one RBI in a game. 

He's now hitting .305/.380/.543 this season. 

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen totaled two RBI in Monday night's 4-3 win over the Giants. 

Both of his RBI came on sacrifice flies. He also hit an infield single in the first inning to go 1 for 2 in the game. His slash line is .278/.369/.472 for the season. 

McCutchen has been on a tear lately as he's hitting .441 in his last 10 games. Five of those games have featured more than one hit. 

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson hit his 14th home run of the season to help send the Dodgers to a 11-4 win over the Rockies.

Pederson hit the home run off Christian Bergman in the eighth inning. It was his only hit in six at-bats during the game. Over his last seven games, Pederson is 10 for 30 with two home runs and four RBI.

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler moved into the cleanup spot for Monday's game at Miami. It was the third time he hit cleanup this season and first time since May 11.

Soler has had mixed results batting cleanup in his career. He has just a .217 average in 19 games batting fourth, but he also has 13 RBI, which is the most he has at any position in the batting order. He also has one triple, five doubles and two home runs batting cleanup.

Soler had a .288/.336/.423/.759 slash line in 28 May games. He also had two home runs, eight doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, seven walks and 34 strikeouts in May.

First baseman Brandon Belt hit a solo home run in the Giants' Sunday loss to Atlanta. 

Belt went 2 for 3 with a walk. He connected in the second inning for his seventh homer and 22nd RBI. 

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson hit a solo home run for the team's only run in a 3-1 loss to St. Louis on Sunday. 

Pederson went deep in the eighth inning for one of just two Dodger hits on the day. It was his 13th homer of the year and ninth in the month of May. 

Pederson went 1 for 3 with a walk and drove in his 24th run of the year. 

After taking Saturday off, first baseman Justin Bour is back in the lineup against the Mets. Bour, batting fourth, is hitting .361 in 28 games this season. 

Ichiro Suzuki is getting the start in center field for Marcell Ozuna, who appears to be getting the day off. Suzuki will bat fifth. 

Catcher Jhonatan Solano is also in the lineup.  

After taking a day off due to a sore back, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has returned to the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds. 

Harper was hit by a pitch on Friday and missed Saturday's game as a result. Harper is batting in his usual cleanup spot. Clint Robinson filled in for Harper on Saturday. 

Also returning to the lineup is Wilson Ramos, who will hit sixth.