MLB Player News

McCutchen is back in the lineup Friday against the Reds, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The five-time All-Star did not play at all during the Atlanta series, as the team looked to recharge McCutchen's batteries after a .204/.259/.296 start to the second half. McCutchen's plate skills have slipped this year, with his walk rate dipping by more than five percent while his strikeout rate has jumped in the wrong direction, but he's earned everyday at-bats for the Pirates and should remain active in most formats.

Vargas is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reports.

Vargas is out of the lineup for the third time in the past four games after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Thursday's contest against Cleveland. Miguel Sano will hit in the DH spot for Friday's game, with Jorge Polanco taking over the hot corner.

Carpenter (oblique) was activated from the DL on Friday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Carpenter will return Friday to face Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz following a successful four-game rehab stint with Double-A Springfield (4-for-12 with a double and a homer). Carpenter was enjoying a great season before the oblique injury put him on the shelf in early July, slashing .298/.420/.568, and he should continue to provide excellent four-category production while batting atop the Cardinals' order.

Belt is out of the lineup Friday against the Nationals.

He is hitting just .190/.342/.286 in the second half, so while his numbers on the season are still pretty impressive, he's scuffling quite a bit at the plate, specifically in the power department. Buster Posey will get the start at first base and hit cleanup Friday.

Choi went 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in Thursday's loss to the A's.

Believe it or not, Choi almost had a third home run, but Coco Crisp robbed him with a leaping catch at the wall in the bottom of the fifth inning. Choi had two home runs in 32 games entering play Thursday, and even after this performance, he's still slashing just .182/.273/.390 on the season.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Thursday's loss to the White Sox.

The 33-year-old continues to tear the cover off the ball -- Thursday's homer was his fourth in as many games and seventh since the All-Star break. He's been excellent since the first couple weeks of the season and remains a set-it-and-forget-it fantasy stud.

Miller went 1-for-2 with two walks and a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Royals 3-2 on Thursday afternoon.

Miller's 19th homer was his second in as many days, and the 26-year-old's fourth in the last six games. He's now hit safely in eight of nine contests to push his average to a season-high .254 through 355 at-bats. Miller was recently told that he would be moving away from shortstop to play first base. He's yet to log a game at the corner spot, but if he indeed begins to play there, then Miller could earn eligibility at first base in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Cespedes (quad) had an MRI on Thursday which revealed no further damage to his injured quadriceps, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Cespedes had been dealing with the injury for several weeks but an aggravation during Wednesday's game forced him to the DL. On the bright side, his medical evaluations revealed no structural damage and he should be able to return from the DL once eligible on Aug. 18, assuming his rehab goes smoothly.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Thursday's tilt with Atlanta.

As expected, McCutchen is out of the lineup for the final game of the series with Atlanta Thursday. The Pirates wanted to give him several games off to unplug with hopes that it jumpstarts McCutchen heading into the playoff push. Matt Joyce gets the start in his place with Starling Marte sliding over to center field.

Carpenter (oblique) will be activated prior to Friday's game against the Braves, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports.

He made his fourth and final rehab start Wednesday for Double-A Springfield and will use Thursday as a rest/travel day before joining the Cardinals for the weekend series at home against the Braves. Carpenter will return to the leadoff spot immediately, but he will move around in the field, primarily seeing time at third base and second base. Owners should be prepared to deploy him immediately upon is activation Friday.