MLB Player News

Harper is in the lineup but will likely only play six or seven innings during Friday's game against the Pirates, The Washington Post's Jorge Castillo reports.

In addition, manager Dusty Baker stated that Harper is unlikely to play all nine innings of any game this weekend while he continues to work his way back from a knee injury. Harper was activated from the disabled list Tuesday, and played two straight games before taking the day off for Thursday's series opener.

Stanton went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored during Thursday's win over Atlanta.

Baseball fans and fantasy owners have wondered for some time what Stanton was capable of in a healthy season. The answer is a historic campaign. Stanton is now up to 59 homers, 129 RBI and 121 runs with a .280/.376/.636 slash line, and he has three more games on the schedule to beef up his numbers.

Carpenter (shoulder) has been shut down for the remainder of the season, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The Cardinals were officially eliminated from postseason contention Thursday, and with that, Carpenter will shut it down and look ahead to 2018. He has been playing through chronic shoulder pain for a while and the team will check in on the condition of his shoulder with another MRI on Friday. Carpenter said he's confident that he will be able to avoid surgery.

Cabrera (back) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Cabrera will miss a fourth straight game following his removal from Saturday's contest with a back injury, which wound up being revealed as a pair of herniated discs. There has been no word on his status, so he will remain day-to-day for the time being while John Hicks draws the start in his stead.

Harper is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper, who returned from a long-term knee injury earlier in the week, is apparently feeling a little sore after playing in back-to-back games, so he'll get the day off as the Nationals play it safe with him ahead of the playoffs. According to manager Dusty Baker, Harper's soreness is nothing to worry about and he expects the outfielder to play in the final three games of the regular season over the weekend, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports. Meanwhile, Victor Robles will start in right field and bat second in his place Thursday.

Miller is not in the lineup against the Yankees on Thursday, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller heads back to the bench for the third time in the past six games while Daniel Robertson picks up a start at the keystone. Since the beginning of September, Miller is batting .214/.297/.321 with five RBI.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

The home run was Martinez's 45th of the season and 16th of September, tying the National League record established in 1949 by Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. During the month-long heater, Martinez is slashing .418/.455/1.022 with 36 RBI and 26 runs, likely swinging the tide in many fantasy matchups down the stretch.

Brantley (ankle) was out running sprints prior to Cleveland's game against the Twins on Thursday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

The club is still planning on inserting Brantley into one of this weekend's games, but that could be a tad optimistic since he has only tested the ankle a few times in recent days, following a shutdown from all running activities Sept. 20. The fact that he was able to make cuts during his running session is obviously a good sign, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to take the field this weekend, for the first time since early August.

Buxton is not in the lineup Thursday against Cleveland, MLBpressbox.com reports.

Buxton will retreat to the bench for the first time since early September now that Minnesota has officially clinched a playoff spot, while Zack Granite picks up a start in center. Over the course of the month, Buxton is hitting .280/.343/.484 with three home runs and 13 RBI.

The Indians are aiming to get Brantley (ankle) into a game this weekend, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

This is a bit surprising, as Brantley just resumed light jogging Wednesday following a prolonged shutdown period. Regardless, the team seems to think Brantley can progress enough in the coming days to get back onto the field and make his case for a spot on the ALDS roster. Brantley has battled ankle issues throughout the season after missing nearly all of last year due to shoulder troubles.