MLB Player News

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt hit a two-run double in the first inning of Monday night's 4-3 loss to the Pirates. 

Belt wouldn't have had the opportunity to knock in these two runs if Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang didn't commit a throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Belt finished the game 1 for 4 and struck out twice. 

This is the first game since May 23 that Belt has posted more than one RBI in a game. 

He's now hitting .305/.380/.543 this season. 

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen totaled two RBI in Monday night's 4-3 win over the Giants. 

Both of his RBI came on sacrifice flies. He also hit an infield single in the first inning to go 1 for 2 in the game. His slash line is .278/.369/.472 for the season. 

McCutchen has been on a tear lately as he's hitting .441 in his last 10 games. Five of those games have featured more than one hit. 

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson hit his 14th home run of the season to help send the Dodgers to a 11-4 win over the Rockies.

Pederson hit the home run off Christian Bergman in the eighth inning. It was his only hit in six at-bats during the game. Over his last seven games, Pederson is 10 for 30 with two home runs and four RBI.

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler moved into the cleanup spot for Monday's game at Miami. It was the third time he hit cleanup this season and first time since May 11.

Soler has had mixed results batting cleanup in his career. He has just a .217 average in 19 games batting fourth, but he also has 13 RBI, which is the most he has at any position in the batting order. He also has one triple, five doubles and two home runs batting cleanup.

Soler had a .288/.336/.423/.759 slash line in 28 May games. He also had two home runs, eight doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, seven walks and 34 strikeouts in May.

Athletics left fielder Mark Canha is struggling mightily during his team's current homestand.

Canha is 3 for 15 during the homestand and went just 1 for 8 in a four-game series against the Yankees. 

"I think I can get a little excited there and try to do too much sometimes," Canha said. "I just need to relax and see the ball."

Canha is hitting .169 in May after hitting an impressive .279 in April. He's also struggling to hit against left-handed pitchers -- which was something his team was looking for him to excel at --going just 5 for 47 this season.

"We really looked at him to be a potential left-handed pitcher killer, and it's really been the opposite for him. All his damage has been against right-handed pitching. I think that'll even out at some point."

First baseman Brandon Belt hit a solo home run in the Giants' Sunday loss to Atlanta. 

Belt went 2 for 3 with a walk. He connected in the second inning for his seventh homer and 22nd RBI. 

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson hit a solo home run for the team's only run in a 3-1 loss to St. Louis on Sunday. 

Pederson went deep in the eighth inning for one of just two Dodger hits on the day. It was his 13th homer of the year and ninth in the month of May. 

Pederson went 1 for 3 with a walk and drove in his 24th run of the year. 

After taking Saturday off, first baseman Justin Bour is back in the lineup against the Mets. Bour, batting fourth, is hitting .361 in 28 games this season. 

Ichiro Suzuki is getting the start in center field for Marcell Ozuna, who appears to be getting the day off. Suzuki will bat fifth. 

Catcher Jhonatan Solano is also in the lineup.  

After taking a day off due to a sore back, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has returned to the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds. 

Harper was hit by a pitch on Friday and missed Saturday's game as a result. Harper is batting in his usual cleanup spot. Clint Robinson filled in for Harper on Saturday. 

Also returning to the lineup is Wilson Ramos, who will hit sixth. 

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez went 3 for 4 at the plate in Detroit's 8-6 loss to the Angels on Saturday. Martinez ripped two doubles, pushing his total to 11 on the year, and scored two runs in the contest. 

Martinez is now hitting .266 with 22 RBI in 188 at-bats this season.