MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper hit a three-run home run in the first inning of Friday night's 7-2 victory over the Phillies. 

With Yunel Escobar and Ian Desmond on base, Harper crushed a 1-2 pitch off of Sean O'Sullivan to center field. It was Harper's third home run of the season. 

Harper is now hitting .250/.375/.500 for the season. He finished Friday's game 1 for 2 and drew two walks. 

The combination of a personally difficult matchup and a season-long slump has motivated Giants manager Bruce Bochy to drop first baseman Brandon Belt to sixth in the lineup Friday night for the first time this season.

Belt is 2 for 16 lifetime against Arizona starter Josh Collmenter. He is also 2 for 23 on the year with a slash line of .067/.160/.087.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss gave outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and first baseman Justin Morneau the night off Friday against Dodgers right-hander Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles. Morneau is 0-for-3 lifetime against Kershaw, while Gonzalez has five hits in 30 at-bats against the Dodgers southpaw.

With Gonzalez on the bench, Weiss chose to go with Charlie Blackmon in right field, Corey Dickerson in left field and Drew Stubbs in center field. Wilin Rosario started at first and batted cleanup in place of Morneau.

Struggling Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna has been benched for the Friday night game against the Mets.

Ozuna hasn't had a multi-hit game since the season opener and is 4-for-28 since. He has just one extra-base hit on the year.

With second baseman Neil Walker receiving the night off, the Pirates moved center fielder Andrew McCutchen to the cleanup spot Friday against Milwaukee.

McCutchen has started all eight of his games at the No. 3 hole, with Walker at the cleanup spot. McCutchen is hitting .207 (6 for 29) with two homers and seven RBI to start the season. He is a

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton launched his 155th career home run, passing Dan Uggla for the most home runs in franchise history. Stanton smacked a two-run home run off Dillon Gee in the second inning of Miami's 7-5 loss to the Mets at Citi Field on Thursday.

"I'll enjoy it later," Stanton said of his home run, per the Miami Herald. "Three and seven is the only record I know right now."

It was Stanton's first home run Sept. 8, three days before his season ended in when he suffered a facial fracture in Milwaukee. Stanton has also homered in four straight games against the Mets. he will look to make it five in a row against New York right-hander Bartolo Colon on Friday. He is 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI in his career against Colon.

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBI in his team's 7-5 loss to the Mets Thursday.

Stanton's first home run of the season was a two-run blast in the top of the first inning, but the lead shifted back and forth during the middle innings, with the Mets ultimately coming out ahead. Stanton went 3 for 3 with four RBI Tuesday but had been hitless in four of his previous five games coming into Thursday. He has hit .242 with nine RBI and eight walks in 10 games.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter collected his fourth straight two-hit game and sixth this season during a 4-0 win Thursday against the Brewers. He had two doubles, one run and one RBI.

Carpenter is batting .364 (12 for 33) with one home run, four doubles and six RBI in eight games. He also has seven runs, four walks and four strikeouts.

Coming into the season, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly chose not to name rookie Joc Pederson the team's starting center fielder. Instead, he opted to say, "You're going to see Joc a lot in center field."

Well, at least Mattingly didn't lie in that regard. Pederson has started all nine games in center field for the Dodgers this season. Thus far, the rookie has been able to handle the everyday responsibilities.

Pederson reached base in every plate appearance during Wednesday's 5-2 win against the Mariners. He had a single and three walks. He also has one RBI.

While Pederson has had just one multihit game, he is batting .310 (9 for 29) with a .444 on-base percentage, .517 slugging percentage and .962 OPS. He also has one home run, three doubles, four RBI, six runs, seven walks and one stolen base.

About the only negatives for Pederson is that he has 11 strikeouts and has been caught stealing twice.

“It’s a tough spot for a young player, that eight hole,” Mattingly said, per the Los Angeles Times. “Tough spot for him to know when to be patient. He has a good eye so I think it’s just him staying with his game plan.”

In his final plate appearance of the game on Tuesday, Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton batted without his customized helmet face guard he'd been wearing since his season-ending beaning from last year, reports MLB.com. 

"It's confidence for him," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "I think that's probably a big step. He swung the bat well. His at-bats were good."