MLB Player News

Belt went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk and four RBI on Friday against the Pirates.

Belt had a solid night during a game in which the Giants lit the Pirates up for 13 runs in a winning effort. Despite having a weak .232 batting average, he's a useful fantasy option based on his 15 homers and .457 slugging percentage.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

Pederson will get his first day off since last Friday with southpaw Clayton Richard heading to the mound for San Diego. In his place, Trayce Thompson will man center and bat seventh in the order.

Pederson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's win over the Angels.

The 25-year-old has been on a power binge since returning from the disabled list June 13, tallying six homers and 13 RBI over a 17-game stretch. Pederson is batting .291 (16-for-55) over that span, but fantasy owners shouldn't expect that to be sustainable for the career .225 hitter. His power and on-base skills, however, are legitimate.

Martinez (foot) is starting in right field and batting fifth against the Indians.

Martinez was lifted from Thursday's game after he fouled a ball off his left foot, but it appears his removal was simply precautionary as he's back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against Cleveland. The 29-year-old is slashing .294/.382/.634 with 13 homers in 44 games this season.

Martinez was lifted from Thursday's game as a precaution after he fouled a ball off his left foot in the seventh inning, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Following a tenacious 15-pitch at-bat which ended with an RBI single, Martinez was substituted out of the game for pinch runner Matt den Dekker. Manager Brad Ausmus later said the premature exit was a precautionary measure, especially considering the slugger missed the beginning of the season with the exact same type of injury. Martinez is hitting .309/.365/.585 with 10 RBI in June and figures to be back in the lineup when the Tigers begin a weekend series with the Indians on Friday.

Stanton ripped his 21st homer as part of a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of runs in Wednesday's loss to the Mets.

The RBI was No. 50 on the year for Stanton, and he's provided 50 runs to boot, putting him on pace for career highs in both of those categories as well as home runs. Although he whiffed twice in this one, Stanton has still cut his strikeout rate noticeably this season, leading to a bit of an uptick in batting average; of course, that'll never be a strength for him, but his current .274 mark is most welcome after he hit .240 last year.

Ozuna is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mets, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

It's a rare day off for Ozuna, who will head to the bench for just the first time all season. There has been no report of injury, so it appears to simply be a deserved day off for the 26-year-old outfielder. He's in the midst of a breakout season, slashing .315/.378/.565 with 20 homers and 54 RBI in 76 games this year.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Royals.

The 34-year-old has now homered in back-to-back games to give him 10 on the year. Cabrera's recent power surge hasn't been buttressed by his usual high batting average, however, and he's hitting only .220 (11-for-50) over his last 13 games despite five home runs, nine runs and nine RBI. The future Hall of Famer hasn't hit below .300 since he posted a .292 average in 2008, his first season in Detroit, but that streak appears to be in serious jeopardy unless he can put together a huge second half.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

It's been eight games since his last homer, but Harper's hardly been quiet at the plate during that stretch, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with five RBI. It's only a matter of time before the 24-year-old adds to his 18 home runs on the season.

Buxton is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Buxton's base knock Tuesday gave him just his second hit in 21 at-bats over the last six games, leaving his average at an even .200 for the season. It appears his absence from the lineup Wednesday is just a routine day off, but Buxton may need to turn things around quickly if he hopes to avoid a demotion to the minors. Max Kepler will pick up the start in center field in Buxton's stead Wednesday.