MLB Player News

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Mets.

The only game Stanton went without homering in this three-game set was Tuesday, when Mets pitchers walked him four times. Stanton went through a little slump that lasted from late August into mid-September (.145/.264/.306 with just three homers and three RBI over a 17-game span), which isn't very good timing as far as the fantasy playoffs go, but he's bounced back from that beautifully. His 56 homers are easily good for tops in baseball (by 11 over the second-place Aaron Judge), and his 120 RBI are second only to Nolan Arenado's 125.

Brantley (ankle) will remain shut down from all running activity for another 7-to-10 days, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

A recent visit to a foot and ankle specialist yielded a more definitive diagnosis; Brantley has a deltoid ligament sprain in addition to right ankle synovitis. He will be re-evaluated in a week or so. Brantley's not going to be ready in time to help fantasy players, but there's still a chance he could return in the postseason if the Indians make a deep enough run. The 30-year-old fared well when on the field, hitting .299/.358/.445, but he's been limited to just 99 games over the past two seasons due to injuries.

Belt (concussion) worked out on the field with the Giants' strength and conditioning coach prior to Wednesday's game, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt was moved to the 60-day DL earlier in the day, officially ending his season, but it seems 29-year-old is making some progress in his recovery from a concussion. Nothing should be taken for granted moving forward given his history of head injuries, but Belt just signed a five-year extension in 2016 and will be a starter next year if healthy.

Harper (knee) is feeling good following Monday's full workout, and was out running the bases and competing in another workout prior to Washington's contest Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports reports.

Harper will continue to ramp up his efforts in the coming days with a simulated game pegged for this weekend, and remains optimistic about returning to the field before the end of the regular season. The club is stressing that his status remains in a "day-to-day" state but acknowledged Tuesday that he could be back in action as soon as next week.

Belt (concussion) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Wednesday.

It was widely assumed that Belt was done for the year, and this move makes it official. Belt suffered a concussion in early August, adding to his extensive history of head injuries. These issues are very serious and will always be a concern, but if healthy, Belt should be the Giants' starter at first base again next season.

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.