MLB Player News

Belt went 2-for-6 with two doubles and two runs scored Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Belt now has four two-hit games in his last eight, though that threshold wasn't hard to reach with the Giants scoring 15 runs in this one. The first baseman also has four doubles and three home runs in that stretch, and has worked his slugging percentage up to .538 in what has been a breakout campaign.

Cespedes hit his 18th home run, a solo shot, as part of a 2-for-4 game Tuesday against the Royals.

Cespedes now has a pair of home runs in his last three games after hitting just one homer in his first 14 games in June. After hitting 35 home runs in 2015, Cespedes is now on pace for 42 this year, as he's showing his MVP-level performance for the Mets in the second half last season was no fluke.

Carpenter hit his 11th home run of the season Tuesday, a solo shot that helped the Cardinals defeat the first-place Cubs 4-3.

Despite his lack of speed, Carpenter has been brilliant this season as the Cardinals leadoff hitter, with a .417 OBP that is tied for second in the NL. His 11 home runs continue his power-hitting pace set last year, when his 28 home runs were more than his previous three seasons combined. Carpenter has been especially productive of late, with an OBP well over .500 in June.

Blackmon went 2-for-5 with a pair of solo homers and three runs scored Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Blackmon rode the momentum of Monday night's ninth-inning home run to another pair in the first four innings of this contest. This effort gives the leadoff man double-digit homers in three consecutive campaigns, and puts him on pace to top 20 for the first time in his career. Look for him to continue scoring runs at a high rate from atop the high-octane Rockies order.

Brantley (shoulder) received a cortisone shot Tuesday and is dealing with right biceps tendon tendinitis.

Brantley has continued to experience discomfort in his shoulder and was re-examined Tuesday, revealing the tendinitis. He still hasn't progressed to taking live batting practice and it appears he's suffered something of a setback, so he'll likely take the next few days slowly after receiving the cortisone shot. The 29-year-old had been able to take soft toss, but it's unclear what the next steps will be once he resumes baseball activities.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Tuesday's matchup with Atlanta, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Ozuna had not missed game action since April 28 and will therefore receive a much-deserved maintenance day. Throughout that time span, the 25-year-old has built upon his breakout 2016 season, slashing .362/.415/.643 to go along with 38 runs and 34 RBI over 49 games. Ichiro Suzuki will man center field in Ozuna's absence Tuesday.

Turner hit his 10th home run in a 2-for-4 game with two RBI in Monday's win over the Nationals.

Turner is on an absolute tear. He is now 8-for-17 with four home runs and eight RBI over his last four games and has raised his batting line from .235/.324/.373 to .252/.336/.432 in that short span. It's possible Turner may have lost his starting spot due to his slow start had the Dodgers not been dealing with so many injuries, but with this hot streak, he has cemented his spot in the lineup.

Miller went 1-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored Monday in Cleveland.

Miller is in the midst of a power surge, with three home runs in his last four games. The shortstop is comfortably on pace to set a new career high in home runs after raising that mark from 10 to 11 in 144 games last season. Miller's .271 BABIP is well below his career mark of .289, so don't be surprised if he continues to pick up the pace offensively.

Stanton went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Rockies.

All eight runs scored in this one were on solo homers, and Stanton got his out of the way early after going back-to-back with Marcell Ozuna in the first inning. The Marlins had to be relieved to see their young slugger go yard again, as he hadn't done so since May 24. Hopefully he'll start producing again with that monkey off his back.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Rockies.

Ozuna has really heated up over the last two games, smacking three homers en route to five RBI. He has been the most productive member of a stacked Marlins outfield, slashing .322/.374/.567 while leading the team with 15 long balls.