MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper hit his first home run of the spring on Friday. 

In the fourth inning, Harper hit a 1-0 slider to right-center for a solo shot off of Jake Buchanan. Harper went one for two with a walk and lifted his average to .238 for the spring. 

Manager Matt Williams said that Harper had been "jumpy" at the plate earlier in the spring, but he'd settled down during batting practice over the last few days. “He’s calming his lower half down,” Williams said, per the Washington Post's James Wagner. “He gets 40 at-bats and he’ll be right where he needs to be. The BPs are better. He’s getting better results. He’s taking his walks. All those things are positive.

Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen (lower body) and Jose Tabata (ankle) both took batting practice Friday and showed no ill effects, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

McCutchen has missed the last five games with his injury, which has been described as a "mystery ailment," but said he was fine after taking BP.

Tabata took his batting practice while wearing a protective shield on his ankle, after fouling a ball off his foot during Wednesday's game. 

After the Marlins reached a new deal with outfielder Christian Yelich on Thursday, the next domino to fall figures to be CF Marcell Ozuna. But, according to MLB.com, the outfielder is willing to be patient regarding his contract extension. 

Ozuna is scheduled to be arbitration-eligible in 2016, but on the advice of his agent, Scott Boras, he will focus his energy on the field and not his deal.

"[Boras] tells me 'Don't hurry. Be waiting for the moment, and let's see what happens in a couple of years,' " said Ozuna, who hit .269 with 23 home runs and 85 RBIs in his first full MLB season. 

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson went 3 for 3 from the plate for three RBI in Wednesday's 7-5 loss to the Cubs. 

Pederson hit a home run, a double and a single during the game. That's his second home run and third double of the spring. 

"What I like with Joc right now is that he's staying in the middle of the field more. Early on he was a little bit pull-happy," manager Don Mattingly said, via SB Nation's True Blue LA. "He seems to be getting himself a good pitch to hit and that's the key more than anything."

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton connected for his first spring home run Wednesday against the Nationals. It was also his first home run since getting hit in the face by a pitch in September.

Stanton doubled in the first inning against Doug Fister, had an RBI single in the third inning that made it 2-0 and tied the score 3-3 when he homered leading off the sixth inning against Casey Janssen.

"Today was a good day, obviously," Stanton said, per the Associated Press.

Stanton is batting .286 (6 for 21) with two doubles, three walks, six RBI and one run in nine spring games.

"He looks great," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He looks confident. His swings look good."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of the lineup for the fifth straight Grapefruit League game on Wednesday due to lower body soreness, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

McCutchen is taking a cautious approach in his recovery, and has vowed not to return until he's 100 percent. He is hitting .167 (2 for 12) with one double, one RBI, one walk and one run in five spring training games.

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson is in a good position in the middle of spring training. The young outfielder is getting close to locking up the starting role in center field when the season begins, reports MLB.com.

"We haven't made any decision yet on who's going to play where, but we do like the way things are going for Joc," said manager Don Mattingly, who started Pederson on Tuesday along with outfielders Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but Pederson, who went 0 for 3 Tuesday, has the eye of Mattingly.

"We're still competing, but obviously we like what we see," Mattingly said. "We look at the process as much as hitting .409 [Pederson's average coming into Tuesday]. How he's working, how he's dealing with it all. I was talking to him today about having good at-bats and taking that into the season."

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of the lineup again on Tuesday due to lower body soreness, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. McCutchen has been sidelined since Thursday due to the issue, and has vowed not to return until he's 100 percent. He took part in batting practice and did some other work in the morning.

"Taking it slow, no point in rushing it," McCutchen said. "I'm just doing standard stuff and taking my time. It's better safe than sorry.

"I'm fine. I can do that stuff," McCutchen said. "I'm going out and not feeling any type of hindrance. Until it gets out of the system I'm going to take it day by day."

McCutchen is hitting .167 (2 for 12) with one double, one RBI, one walk and one run in five spring training games.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen doesn't want to push things too hard too fast. The former league MVP has been sidelined by a lower body injury for the last two days and wants to get right before getting back on the field, reports MLB.com.

"I've just been trying to get my legs under me," McCutchen said. "When you get back to baseball stuff after all the offseason workouts, it just takes a little time. I don't want to get back out there until I'm 100 percent."

McCutchen will take his time to get back on the field and is in no rush.

"We're dealing with him day to day," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's down again [Sunday], we have the day off [Monday] and we'll re-evaluate on Tuesday. I think we're in a good place with him."

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon is struggling at the plate this spring, going just 1 for 8 so far. Even though he missed Wednesday's game with an abdominal injury, Blackmon wants to show more discipline at the plate and wait on pitches, reports MLB.com.

"I'm trying to see a lot of pitches," Blackmon said. "The other day, I took a 2-0 pitch on purpose [Friday while facing White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana, against whom he singled earlier in the game]. I want to be comfortable hitting later in the count, deeper in the count, with more strikes. In the season, if I get a 2-0 pitch over the plate, I'm going to try to hit it real hard. I'm not going to be trying to extend the at-bat."