MLB Player News

Brantley (shoulder) remains out of the lineup Friday against the Twins.

The Indians were hoping that Brantley could return to the starting lineup after three days of rest, but it appears that his shoulder is still bothering him a bit. With a fourth day off, though, he could return for Saturday's matchup with Minnesota. Jose Ramirez will get the starting nod in left field in his stead.

Belt (illness) is back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.

An illness kept Belt out of the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Blue Jays, but he was able to enter the game as a pinch hitter and log two at-bats. He'll reclaim his spot at first base Thursday and he'll bat fifth in the order against Arizona ace Zack Greinke.

Belt (illness) was held out of the lineup but entered Wednesday's game in the ninth. He went 0-for-2 with a run scored in the extra-inning win over the Blue Jays.

Belt had a stomach virus that kept him out of the lineup, but the fact that he entered the game and played four innings bodes well for his chances to return Thursday. Make sure to check back once manager Bruce Bochy releases his lineup this afternoon to see if Belt is healthy enough to start.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a homer, his second of the season, three RBI and three runs in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

The blast, into the right-field bullpen, was Blackmon's 500th career hit. Since returning on April 29 from a short stint on the DL, the outfielder is 17-for-51 (.333) with two homers, seven RBI and nine runs. Of course the team and Blackmon would never admit to it, but it's hard not to associate his lack of aggressiveness on the bases (2-for-3) with the turf-toe injury he is rebounding from. The 29-year-old has average 35-plus steals over the past two seasons and he needs to start running for owners to get a full return on his draft-day value.

Ruf could be sent to Triple-A if the Phillies opt to promote Tommy Joseph from the minors soon, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Manager Pete Mackanin confirmed Wednesday that the Phillies have discussed promoting Joseph. He would take Ruf's spot in a platoon at first base with Ryan Howard. Ruf, who has an option left, has hit just .161/.210/.196 this season and has yet to homer. Perhaps some time in the minors with consistent playing time will get his bat going again.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk Wednesday against the Reds.

He's rounding into form after dealing with an early slump, with hits in six consecutive games lifting his average from .221 to .248 and his OPS back over the .800 mark. By the time the dust settles on this season, McCutchen should be sporting the numbers we've come to expect from him -- 20-plus homers and an average over .300 with plenty of counting stats. However, his steal totals have declined in each of the last two seasons, and as he approaches his 30th birthday (it's in October), McCutchen seems not to be a reliable source of speed anymore.

Martinez hit a solo homer and struck out three times against the Nationals' Max Scherzer in Wednesday's loss.

After 2014's breakout was followed by 2015's power explosion, Martinez flew off draft boards this spring, and early indications confirmed that valuation -- on April 19, he was hitting .370/.444/.565, but then he hit the skids in a big way. Over the 19 games between then and Wednesday, Martinez went just 11-for-76 (.145) with two homers. His BABIP is still way too low at .264 and his HR/FB is depressed as well, so Martinez should bounce back promptly. It's also hard to blame him for all those whiffs Wednesday, considering that the Tigers went down on strikes 20 times against Max Scherzer.

Harper went 2-for-3 with a base on balls and was caught stealing in Wednesday's win over Detroit.

The slugger's now been walked in seven consecutive games, with a Barry Bonds-esque 18 free passes in that span. It's no coincidence that Harper has only one RBI in that time; teams are pitching around the 23-year-old -- who's hitting .385/.645/.923 (yes, that's the slugging percentage) with runners in scoring position -- every time he comes up with men on base. That strategy will certainly artificially deflate his RBI opportunities, but Harper's going to rack up the stats regardless, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him try more steals to make teams pay for walking him. At least the Nats have moved the white-hot Daniel Murphy to the cleanup spot behind him, which should help -- it's hard to walk a guy when the next guy up is a .400 hitter. Harper's fantasy owners should, however, remain vigilant for his upcoming one-game suspension (assuming he loses his appeal).

Reed (hamstring) was placed on the 7-day DL on Wednesday with a right hamstring strain, the Houston Chronicle's Angel Verdejo reports.

General manager Jeff Luhnow said the team does not know the severity of the injury or what kind of timetable Reed is facing. He has a .973 OPS and six home runs through 28 games for Triple-A Frisco, despite dealing with some bad luck on balls in play. Reed will almost certainly be up this season, and his ability to return quickly and put this injury behind him will dictate exactly when he gets the call this summer.

Turner is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mets.

Turner has yet to provide much power or the high batting average that he has been known for in recent seasons, although his defense has still been quite good at the hot corner. Howie Kendrick gets the start at third base and will bat third Wednesday against righty Noah Syndergaard.