MLB Player News

Ozuna clubbed his 18th home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 effort in Friday's loss to the Cardinals.

It was the outfielder's first homer since way back on July 1 and prior to Friday's blast, he had batted .202/.262/.269 over his last 21 games. Ozuna has, however, hit in three straight, including the home run and a pair of doubles, and appears to be getting back in a groove at the plate. Even with the sluggish July, Ozuna is slashing .299/.350/.515 on the year with 18 home runs, 57 runs scored and 54 RBI.

Miller went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and two runs in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Yankees.

The 26-year-old shortstop was making some impactful contact against Yankees starter Ivan Nova, with the three-bagger representing his fifth of the season overall. Miller has hit safely in four of the last five contests as well and has consecutive multi-hit efforts. While he's still hitting a rather middling .250, he's picked it up in the power department over the last several weeks, tallying 10 homers since June 11 while also posting 22 of his 37 RBI since June 1.

After leaving Friday's game following an outfield collision, Dickerson has been diagnosed with a right hip contusion.

While Dickerson did not make it out of the first inning in Friday's game, he does not appear to be dealing with a serious setback at first glance. It's not clear if the injury will force Dickerson to miss any further action, but that will become clear when the Padres release their lineup several hours prior to their next game Saturday.

Dickerson was removed from Friday's game following a collision in the outfield with teammate Travis Jankowski, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Dickerson was able to walk off the field following the collision, but he will not be able to continue beyond the top of the first inning Friday night. Expect an update on his status when more details regarding his health are released.

Blackmon went 4-for-5 with two doubles and scored a run in Friday's victory over the Mets.

The center fielder raised his average to .303 with his first four-hit performance of the season. Despite a short stint on the DL earlier in the year, Blackmon is still on pace to challenge last season's career highs in doubles (31) and runs scored (93).

Martinez (elbow) will start at DH for Triple-A Toledo on Friday, Matthew B. Mowery of The Oakland Press reports.

Martinez has gone 4-for-10 in his first two rehab assignment games and will be back out there in the DH role Friday against Triple-A Gwinnett. He's yet to advance to playing in the outfield during an outing but that will likely occur in the coming days. Pending any setbacks, the 28-year-old is still projecting to return to the Tigers in early August.

Martinez (elbow) was throwing from 220 feet Friday, but felt a little sore after the workout as he remains on the disabled list, Tony Paul of DetroitNews.com reports.

There was the slight chance that Martinez could play in the outfield for Triple-A Toledo's game on Friday, but the team isn't taking any chances and will keep him in the DH spot for now. Manager Brad Ausmus said that he could return before the end of the team's homestand, which continues through August 7. Chances are that he will be back before then, and could be back in the lineup as a right fielder within the next couple days.

Carpenter (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Sunday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The three-time All-Star was recently cleared to resume baseball activities after being shut down for several weeks, and has successfully ramped up close to a rehab assignment. It's uncertain how long Carpenter will need in the minors to prepare for a return to the major league roster, but it seems he has a decent chance to make it back for the start of the team's homestand next week. He will immediately resume his role as the Cardinals' leadoff hitter upon activation.

Brantley took some swings from a pitching machine Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

It's a step in the right direction for Brantley who has had a tumultuous return from shoulder discomfort that's sidelined him since early May. There's likely to be an update on the 28-year-old's progress in the coming days after he sees how he feels following the hitting session.

Cespedes (quad) is back in the lineup Friday against the Rockies.

Word of a quadriceps flareup Wednesday provided a bit of a scare, as the quad issue is something that's been lingering since before the All-Star break, but it seems it was simply a minor setback. Cespedes has been cleared to return following Thursday's off day, and will look to reach the seats for just the second time since the intermission.