MLB Player News

Manager Bruce Bochy said Belt (knee) could return sometime during the Giants' upcoming series against the Dodgers, which starts Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt has been taking grounders at first base for the past couple of days and is nearing a return from the disabled list. The 30-year-old is hoping to resume running this week, and if all goes well he could rejoin the Giants' starting lineup early next week. That said, with Clayton Kershaw set to start for the Dodgers on Monday, Belt -- who is just 4-for-54 (.074) with 28 strikeouts in his career against Kershaw -- likely wouldn't return to the fold until Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, Austin Slater and Buster Posey should continue to cover first base in his absence.

Alvarez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Monday in Triple-A Fresno's 12-3 win over Memphis.

Though Alvarez has gone deep in two of his past three games, he has yet to truly catch fire since earning a promotion to Triple-A in early July. A .207 BABIP seems to be the main culprit behind his underwhelming .202/.297/.427 batting line, as his walk (11.9 percent) and strikeout (24.8 percent) rates are more or less in line with what he posted at Double-A Corpus Christi earlier in the campaign. The rough start in the Pacific Coast League shouldn't dramatically impact Alvarez's long-term fantasy outlook, which remains a promising one thanks to his high-end power.

Ozuna went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Marlins on Monday.

The outfielder enjoyed his first return to Marlins Park, serving as one of the few offensive bright spots for the Cardinals on a night where their bats were mostly dormant. Ozuna has opened August hitting .333 (8-for-24) over the first six games of the month, and he's reached safely in 12 of his last 14 contests overall. All three components of his .269/.314/.391 season line are still under his career numbers, but Ozuna offered some reason for optimism by smacking a trio of homers over the last four games of July.

Belt (knee) took grounders for the second straight day Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt was reportedly working a little more aggressively during Monday's fielding session. He's hoping to resume running later in the week, after which a more concrete return date will hopefully come into focus. The first baseman has been on the disabled list since July 26 with a bone bruise in his knee. Belt said he expects to wear a knee brace once activated. In the meantime, Austin Slater will continue to fill in for Belt at first base.

Ohtani (elbow) has extended his throwing distance to 120 feet, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Ohtani is rehabbing a Grade 2 UCL sprain of his right elbow. He's been used effectively as a designated hitter, as he launched two homers on the road Friday against Cleveland, and there's still hope he could pitch again this season. The next step in Ohtani's rehab figures to be throwing off a mound.

Blackmon is not in the lineup Monday against the Pirates, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon will sit for the first time in over a month. David Dahl will start in center field for the Rockies.

Stanton has been limited to designated-hitter duties for the Yankees' last three games due to a tight left hamstring, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic New York reports.

Stanton was spotted with ice wrapped around the hamstring after contests Friday, Saturday and Sunday, suggesting that the leg issue might still limit his mobility heading into Monday's series opener against the White Sox. Fortunately for the Yankees, having the DH spot available has allowed the team to keep Stanton's powerful bat in the lineup while he works through the discomfort. The injury hasn't seemed to provide any complications at the plate, with Stanton going 4-for-12 with a pair of doubles over the past three games.

Canha went 0-for-3 with a run in a win over the Tigers on Sunday.

Canha had sat Saturday due to an illness, but it was apparently minor in nature. The outfielder wrapped up July by going 5-for-10 with a pair of doubles, a home run, two RBI and three runs over the last three games of the month, but he's generated a 1-for-11 tally thus far over the first three games of August. However, Canha maintains a serviceable .258/.333/.460 line that includes the second-best homer (14) and RBI (42) totals of his career.

Carpenter went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Pirates on Sunday.

Carpenter temporarily had the National League homer lead all to himself after blasting his 29th round tripper in the fifth inning. Although the Rockies' Nolan Arenado eventually drew even with him later in the day, Carpenter's offensive exploits over the last two months-plus are nothing short of astounding at this point. The veteran infielder has hit 26 of his homers over the last 67 games, a stretch during which he sports an MLB-best .722 slugging percentage, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Carpenter has now left the yard in three straight games and reached safely in 24 consecutive games overall, pushing his season line to a steadily ascending .282/.394/.593.

Reyes started in right field and went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Cubs.

The rookie got a rare start with Travis Jankowski sitting against a southpaw. Hunter Renfroe has benefited most from Wil Myers' (foot) placement on the disabled list, so Reyes figures to serve a fourth-outfielder role for the time being. The 22-year-old has flashed plus power in a limited role (seven homers over 114 plate appearances), so he could gain fantasy value down the stretch if a spot in the outfield opens up.