MLB Player News

Carpenter went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run against the Mets on Tuesday.

Uncharacteristically a .231 hitter through his first 80 games of 2017, Carpenter has heated up in a big way lately, racking up 14 hits in his last 31 at-bats (.452), including five doubles -- pulling his average up to a more respectable .253. At the same time, he hasn't hit a home run since June 24; in that interim, he's posted an 18.8 percent walk rate and an 8.8 percent strikeout rate, suggesting that Carpenter may be making a conscious decision to put the ball in play more and pull up his average rather than trying to jack it out of the yard.

Martinez was traded to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday in exchange for Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King.

Shortly after word of the trade broke, the two team confirmed the deal, with the Tigers releasing an updated lineup with Alex Presley in right. Martinez is a free agent after this season, so he's just a rental, but he boosts the already-scary Diamondbacks offense to a new level. The move from a pitcher-friendly home park to one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the league could result in even more power than we've seen from the 29-year-old.

Belt (wrist) is back in the lineup Tuesday against the Indians, batting third and playing first base, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt was available as a defensive replacement Monday night, so it isn't too surprising to see him back in the lineup Tuesday. He'll resume his normal spot in the order as he looks to build on his .244/.352/.470 slash line.

Martinez will be traded to the Diamondbacks, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

The two sides have not confirmed, and in fact Martinez is still listed as in Detroit's starting lineup for Tuesday, but terms of the deal have reportedly been finalized. Martinez has been incredible since returning from a foot injury in mid-May, slashing .305/.388/.630 with 16 homers in 57 games, and he should benefit from a big upgrade in home park and a better lineup around him.

Martinez (back) is starting in right field and hitting fifth Tuesday against the Royals, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

He was lifted from Monday's game as a precaution with lower back tightness, but all appears to be well a day later. Martinez has been talked about as a high-end target at this year's trade deadline, and is hitting .317 with eight home runs over his last 39 games.

Lewis (knee) is 3-for-10 with three runs scored since returning from the disabled list with the Arizona League Mariners.

The top prospect started the season with the club's Low-A affiliate in Clinton, but he'll head to rookie ball to get back into the swing of things. Given that he's 22 years old and holds an .881 OPS in the 10 games he's played in the AZL, he likely will move up to either Low- or High-A relatively soon.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk and a three-run home run in Monday's win over the Reds.

The homer was his third in four games since the All-Star break and 23rd of the year. Harper's also reached base in 20 consecutive games, slashing .390/.500/.662 over that stretch with five home runs, 17 RBI and 20 runs. The only disappointing thing about the 24-year-old superstar's campaign has been his two steals in four attempts, but when you're posting a 1.048 OPS, there's little reason to risk injury on the basepaths.

Winker was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Only one of the Reds' starters (Luis Castillo) during the team's recently completed four-game series with the Nationals was able to cover more than 4.1 innings, so Lisalverto Bonilla was recalled from Triple-A to give an overworked bullpen an extra arm. Winker, who had started just one of seven games since being recalled from Louisville, was a luxury the Reds could no longer afford to keep on the active roster, so he'll clear a spot for Bonilla and return to the minors to pick up everyday at-bats. Winker should rank as one of the top candidates for a promotion when the Reds next require an additional bench bat or a spare outfielder.

Jimenez has gone 4-for-10 with a double, five RBI, four walks and two strikeouts at High-A Winston Salem over his first three games since being acquired by the White Sox.

The White Sox have a loaded farm system after parting with several veterans since last winter. The latest prize is Jimenez, who is widely regarded as a top prospect regardless of who's doing the evaluation. He's at least two years away from being an outfield regular in the major leagues.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI during Monday's win over Philadelphia.

Stanton is now up to seven homers in July and 28 for the season. Alongside the bombs, he sports a .275/.363/.580 slash line with 62 RBI and 63 runs, and the outfielder projects to remain an elite fantasy asset moving forward. Barring injury, he has an excellent shot at leading the National League -- and potentially all of baseball -- in home runs.