MLB Player News

Blackmon is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants.

This will be a rare day off for Blackmon, who has played every game since May 18. He has carried his hot start to the season into June, where he's slashing .344/.438/.607 with six doubles and nine RBI in 61 at-bats. Raimel Tapia will take over in center field in place of Blackmon on Saturday, but look for Blackmon to draw back in for Sunday's series finale.

Harper went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Friday's 7-2 win over the Mets.

He extended a modest hitting streak to nine games with the performance, and Harper's now batting .342 (13-for-38) over that stretch with two homers, six RBI and seven runs. The 24-year-old barreled the ball all night Friday, and seems poised to go on another massive run similar to his dominant April when he posted a 1.281 OPS.

Pederson went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and two runs during Friday's win over Cincinnati.

It was just the third homer of the campaign for Pederson, which is a disappointing total after he left the yard 25 times last year. His .210/.321/.353 slash line is also an eyesore. However, the outfielder has dealt with multiple injuries (groin, neck and a concussion), so there is more at play here than just a lengthy slump. In fact, with three extra-base hits through his past two games, Pederson might be kick-starting a hot stretch now that he's healthy.

Carpenter 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs in Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Brewers.

Carpenter extended his hitting streak to nine games with his sixth and seventh doubles of June. He's now roped at least one two-bagger in six straight contests and is slashing .315/.383/.611 in his first 60 plate appearances of the month.

Cabrera will be part of the Tigers' DH rotation after it was disclosed that he's also dealing with nagging left hip flexor soreness, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

With Victor Martinez (illness) out for the foreseeable future, it seems like the Tigers will be deploying various different players as the designated hitter. Friday will be Cabrera's opportunity, and although he reportedly did not want to DH, the stud slugger will get an evening off from defense in an effort to keep his various ailments from getting out of hand. There's been no indication that anything is bad enough to sideline Cabrera for an extended period of time, but it wouldn't be surprising to see a good number of maintenance days provided for him.

Brantley was placed on the paternity list Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

As anticipated, Brantley's roster spot will be opened up while he attends to the birth of his child. Right-hander Adam Plutko was recalled to fill the void on the roster, and Daniel Robertson seems like the main beneficiary of the available playing time. Look for Brantley to be back in the next few days.

Brantley, who left the team to be with his wife Thursday for the birth of their child, might be placed on the paternity list in the next few days, Zach Meisel of Cleveland.com reports.

It depends on whether the Indians want to open up a roster spot for a brief window. Brantley should be back Sunday, at the latest, if the club makes the transaction. Daniel Robertson could continue taking on extra at-bats in Brantley's absence, as he did Thursday.

Pederson doubled and scored in his four at-bats against the Indians on Thursday.

The double was the 25-year-old's first extra-base hit in three games since returning from the disabled list. Pederson has resumed his role as the Dodgers' starting center fielder against righties despite carrying a batting average south of the Mendoza Line. He's not going to develop into a .300 hitter any time soon, but there is more power in the youngster's bat than we have seen to date, as evidenced by his 51 home runs over his first two full seasons in the majors. Pederson could be worth a flyer for his power potential in the event he breaks out of his season-long slump now that he is healthy.

Lewis has missed the last two games at High-A Modesto due to knee soreness but there is no structural damage, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The Mariners' top prospect recently resumed playing games at High-A Modesto after undergoing surgery to repair an ACL injury last July. According to Divish, Lewis' knee soreness stems from a play he made in the field where his leg crashed against the outfield wall Monday. The Mariners will be cautious with him and keep Lewis out until the soreness fully subsides.

Cabrera has been dealing with back soreness of late but intends to play through it, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. "It's something that I deal with everyday. I'm not going to stop playing or make an excuse," said Cabrera after Thursday's win.

Cabrera was the hero Thursday as he smacked a walkoff home run off of Tommy Hunter to get the Tigers into the win column. His home run marked the first time Cabrera has gone deep since May 20, a span of 83 at-bats. It appears that Cabrera will continue to play every day, but his back will be something for owners to monitor as the season progresses. He now has six home runs and 31 RBI over 193 at-bats this season.