MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and second baseman Chase Utley are out of the starting lineup for Sunday's game. 

Both starters were rested against a left-handed pitcher. Howard is replaced in the lineup by Darin Ruf, who gets his seventh start at the position. He'll bat third. 

Utley is replaced by Cesar Hernandez, who starts at second for the first time in 15 games. He'll bat sixth. 

Carlos Ruiz also gets Sunday off. Replacing him at catcher is Cameron Rupp, who gets his 14th start of the year. He'll bat eighth.

Two regulars are not in the starting lineup for the Indians' game on Sunday. 

Center fielder Michael Bourn gets a rest after five straight starts in center. He's replaced by Michael Brantley, who gets his sixth start in center. 

Jose Ramirez sits after 12 straight starts at shortstop. Mike Aviles replaces him, batting ninth. 

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler broke out of his recent mini-slump with a two-hit night in Saturday's win over the Diamondbacks. Soler went 2 for 4 with a big game tying, two-run double in the top of the eighth inning.

Soler's two-bagger knotted the game up at six, and set the stage for the team to post three more in the ninth for the victory. 

This was Soler's fourth two-hit performance in his last seven games. However, he was hitless int he other three games, and he is now 8 for 29 over that stretch.

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson went 1 for 4 at the plate in Los Angeles' 2-0 win over the Padres on Saturday.

Pederson did his damage in the first inning when he crushed a lead off home run over the right field wall off of Ian Kennedy, his 12th of the season. He has now tied a Dodgers' rookie record for most leadoff home runs in season with Johnny Frederick, who set the record in 1929.

Pederson is now hitting .243 with 23 RBI in 136 at-bats this season.

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler is having a fine debut to the major leagues this season. The rookie is hitting .267 with 14 RBI in 161 at-bats this season, but he his still hoping for more, according to the Chicago Tribune.

"So far, I don't feel good about what I've done," Soler said Saturday. "I expect more from me."

Soler has struck out 59 times so far this season, 15 more than anyone else on the team. He also noted he thinks his hamstrings will hold up this year after missing more than two months in 2014 because of hamstring injuries.

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon had a good day at the plate in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday against the Giants. Blackmon went 2 for 5 with a two-run home run. His sixth home run of the season brought the Rockies to within three runs, but they would eventually fall to the Giants 10-8.

Blackmon has just nine hits in 40 at-bats over his last 10 games, with Saturday's home run accounting for the only extra-base hit during that span.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen fell a triple-shy of the cycle in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Mets. The former NL MVP got the scoring started with his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning off Matt Harvey. McCutchen then singled in the fifth before lacing a double in the seventh. 

Overall, McCutchen went 3 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored. His batting average is up to .258 and is 10 for 28 over his last eight games.

Blue Jays shortstop Ryan Goins turned his ankle and limped off the field after a groundout in the bottom of the fifth inning Saturday against Seattle, per Sportsnet. But he remained in the game.

He was hitless in three at-bats to drop his average to .242.

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley has told Sports Time Ohio that his absence from the Saturday lineup has nothing to do with the back ailment that has plagued him this season and that he should be fine for Sunday.

Brantley has cooled after a torrid stretch. He is 3-for-20 after raising his average from .226 to .348 over a four-week period.

"I just told him, 'Hey, sleep in, relax, and just get yourself ready to maybe pinch-hit in about the seventh,' … and I'll do the same with [Jason Kipnis] here probably pretty soon," manager Terry Francona said to MLB.com. "I've talked to him, too. They're both really good about communicating back with me, and it helps me."

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt homered and had three hits for the fourth time in six games Friday at Colorado. He went 3 for 5 with one double, two runs, two RBI and one strikeout.

Belt connected for a two-run homer in the sixth inning off Kyle Kendrick. It was his fourth home run, which have all come in the last six games. Friday's home run landed in the upper deck at Coors Field.

"It's almost like you were hitting a T-ball," Belt said, per MLB.com. "You hear the crack of the bat and you know which way it's going."

Belt has been on an offensive tear since early May. He is batting .403 in his last 17 games, raising his average from .214 to .317 in that span. Belt also has a .459 on-base percentage, .746 slugging percentage, 1.206 OPS, one triple, nine doubles, 11 RBI and 17 runs in his last 17 games.