MLB Player News

The Giants are going with Matt Duffy and Andrew Susac in Friday night's lineup for their game against the Angels. 

Duffy has been alternating starts at second base with Joe Panik and has been tabbed for this one. Susac is getting the start at catcher, meaning Buster Posey will play first base.

Brandon Belt is not starting as Nori Aoki is in the lineup and playing in left field. 

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper ended the month of April in style, cranking out a bases-clearing double in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field. Harper, who is not a stranger to fast starts, closed the month leading the Nationals in home runs (five), RBI (15), runs scored (18) and on-base percentage (.440).

"Hopefully, I keep going. That's all I want to do," Harper said, per MLB.com. "I just want to stay in the lineup, stay healthy all year and hopefully play 150, 160 games. That's all I care about. As long as we are winning ballgames, it's huge for us. I love playing in April. I don't know why. I'm very comfortable in April. Hopefully, I can feel comfortable the next five months, too."

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter was the team's leadoff man for 329 straight starts in the last three seasons. He revealed that manager Mike Matheny approached him earlier in the week and brought up to the idea of moving him to the No. 2 spot moving forward, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"He didn't actually mention putting me there," Carpenter said. "He just said I would fit that hole well, but that 'we don't want to move you out of that leadoff spot.'

"The very next day, he decided to go with it."

Since taking over the second spot in the batting order on Tuesday, Carpenter has hit .364 (4 for 11) with two doubles, a triple and three RBI in three games.

"I'm a fan of it," Carpenter said. "I think it worked this week and I think it's going to continue to work."

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 2 for 4 with one walk, two doubles and three RBI in his team's 8-2 win over the Mets Thursday.

Harper collected all three of his RBI with a bases-loaded double in the ninth inning, adding three insurance runs on the board and taking the Nationals out of a potential save situation. He's now hit .286/.440/.545 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 77 at-bats.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter collected two hits and scored three runs during Thursday's 9-3 win over the Phillies.

Carpenter went 2 for 3 during the game with two walks. He also drove in one run and is batting .372. Carpenter has multiple hits in three of his last four games.

Phillies left fielder Darin Ruf smacked his second home run of the season during Thursday's 9-3 loss to the Cardinals.

Ruf connected off pitcher Tim Cooney in the third inning for a solo home run. He finished the game 2 for 3 with one walk and one strike out.

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley received a day of rest Thursday afternoon against the Cardinals. Utley has gotten off to an ice-cold start this season, hitting .114 (8 for 70) with two homers, 11 RBI and one stolen base in 21 games.

The team will have Darin Ruf bat third for only the second time in his career, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ruf has not been in the starting lineup since April 23. He is hitting .139 (5 for 36) to start the season.

Philadelphia is considered an underdog (+160) at St. Louis, per VegasInsider.com.

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson batted in the leadoff position for the first time in his career on Wednesday, and he did not disappoint. Pederson led off the Dodgers' half of the first inning with his fourth home run of the season. He also walked once and struck out once as the Dodgers defeated the Giants 7-3.

Pederson entered Wednesday's contest with the third-best on-base percentage in the National League, and with usual leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins struggling, manager Don Mattingly moved Pederson from the eighth spot to the top of the lineup.

"Obviously, he's handled that eighth spot," Mattingly said, per the Los Angeles Times. "It's really a tough spot for a young player, with that pitcher behind you. We're not asking him to do anything differently. I know everybody makes a big deal out of lineup changes and things, but you're not doing anything differently.

Pederson is slashing .348/.500/.826 with three home runs and six RBI over his last 10 games.

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 4 with three RBI in Miami's 7-3 win over the Mets Wednesday.

Stanton did his damage in the first inning when he crushed a Bartolo Colon pitch over the left field wall for a two-run homer, his sixth of the year. He added another RBI on an infield single in the fifth.

Stanton is now hitting .284 with 21 RBI to lead the majors in 81 at-bats.

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson is leading off for the first time this season Wednesday in his team's matchup with the Giants.

"He may end up back [eighth]," manager Don Mattingly said before the game, per MLB.com. "We don't know when Yasiel [Puig] comes back. For now, I feel he fits right there [at leadoff]."

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins has been moved to No. 2 in the order, making it his first start this season out of the leadoff slot. Manager Don Mattingly also flipped first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and second baseman Howie Kendrick, with Kendrick moving up to the third spot and Gonzalez batting cleanup.

The Dodgers are heavy favorites (-200) against the Giants at home Wednesday.