MLB Player News

Miller went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Cubs.

Miller's 422-foot shot to center in the sixth represented the only run of the night for the Rays and served as his first round tripper since Aug. 29. Miller was just 1-for-12 over his previous four games, and despite Tuesday's blast, he's still slashing just .175/.283/.275 in September.

Cespedes, who will end up playing only 81 games this season due to multiple lower-body injuries, plans to adjust his training routine over the winter, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports.

The 31-year-old plans to focus more on resistance and agility training rather than the weightlifting that helped him slug 66 homers over the prior two seasons heading into 2017. A healthy Cespedes will be a crucial component for the Mets if they hope to get back to the playoffs next year, so it's encouraging to see the outfielder take steps to ensure he can stay on the field.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's loss to the Athletics.

Even with the three hits, Cabrera is still hitting just .249. The 34-year-old has only batted below .300 in a season once in his career, and that was in 2008 when he posted a .292 mark. Cabrera has dealt with a variety of injuries this year, so he could bounce back in 2018 with better health. However, at this stage in his career, it wouldn't be too surprising if Cabrera's overall production continued to decline.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with two walks, a double and two RBI in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Giants.

The 31-year-old has faded a bit towards the end of a long campaign, but it's a testament to how good he's been in 2017 that a .273/.377/.500 slash line in September is considered a slump. Blackmon should remain a fixture at the top of the Rockies lineup down the stretch as they try to lock up a wild-card spot.

Harper will play in another simulated game in New York over the weekend, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper continues to trend in the right direction, as manager Dusty Baker said he was impressed with the way Harper looked in a simulated game Tuesday. The key remains how Harper feels Wednesday, however; if everything checks out, the 24-year-old will get a couple of days to rest before participating in another simulated contest over the weekend. If all goes well, general manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged Harper could return before the end of the regular season, though Rizzo maintained that the Nationals are taking things day-to-day. Obviously the Nationals won't push him to return given they've already clinched a playoff berth, but they'd like to get him some game action before the postseason rolls around.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Despite going 7-for-13 with a homer and three RBI over his previous three starts, Ozuna will get Tuesday's game off. Ichiro Suzuki will start in his place in left field, batting leadoff.

Carpenter is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Carpenter will head to the bench for a breather after starting nine consecutive games at the hot corner, slashing .240/.500/.560 with two homers and a 13:12 BB:K over that stretch. Jedd Gyorko will make his first start at third base since Aug. 26 in his place.

Harper (knee) was able to take batting practice again Tuesday, and the Nats are optimistic he'll be able to return next week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Harper originally said he had his eye on returning for Game 1 of the NLDS, but after taking a few days of batting practice on the field, it appears he could return before the regular season concludes. The Nationals won't push him to return seeing as they've already clinched a playoff berth, but they most likely want to get a few games under his belt before October rolls around. Harper has been sidelined since mid-August with a knee injury, so even if he does return before the postseason, the Nats would likely use him cautiously in the last week.

McCutchen collected three singles Monday, finishing 3-for-4 against Milwaukee.

Over his last 13 games, McCutchen is slashing .321/.357/.547 in 56 plate appearances. The center fielder has seven hits in 21 at-bats against Tuesday starter Chase Anderson, including a homer Sept. 13. Pittsburgh's offense continues to struggle but McCutchen has regained his stroke after a disappointing August.

Ozuna went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and two RBI during Monday's win over the Mets.

After an inconsistent start to September, Ozuna has gone 7-for-13 with three RBI and three runs through his past three games. The 26-year-old outfielder has already cruised to career-high marks across the board with 34 homers, 113 RBI, 83 runs and a .305/.367/.539 slash line.