MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper hit his eighth home run in his last nine games during Friday's 10-0 win over the Padres.

Harper hit the two-run home run off Shawn Kelley in the fourth inning. He finished the game 3 for 4 with two RBI. His 13 home runs lead the National League.

 Harper is now 17 for 32 in his last nine games with 18 RBI. He has raised his batting average from .245 to .317.

First baseman Miguel Cabrera hit a home run in the Tigers' win over the Cardinals on Friday, the 399th of his career.

Cabrera entered the game batting just .158 with no homers and one RBI at night this season, while hitting .471 with eight homers and 25 RBI in day games.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs during Friday's 5-3 loss to the Braves.

Stanton hit his first home run in the third inning off Julio Teheran and he connected off Cody Martin in the seventh inning. Both home runs were solo shots. Stanton finished the game 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Stanton is 5 for 11 with three home runs and six RBI in his last three games.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt connected on his first home run of the season during Friday's 10-2 win over the Reds.

"I had forgotten what that feels like," he said, per MLB.com. "It's been a while."

Belt hit the three-run home run in the first inning off Jason Marquis. Belt finished the game 3 for 5 with four RBI. He also hit a double during the game.

He is now hitting .291 on the season. Before Friday's three-hit game, Belt had been 1 for 13 in his last three games.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning to help send Friday's game with the Cubs into extra innings. 

McCutchen reached base five times, going 2 for 4 with three walks. He's now hitting .238 with four home runs and 22 RBI.

Left fielder Corey Dickerson was not in the Rockies lineup for Friday's game, just the fourth time this season he'll miss a start. 

Charlie Blackmon moves over from center field, playing left for the second time this season. Drew Stubbs gets his ninth start in center, replacing Blackmon. 

Athletics first baseman Ike Davis remains remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox. Davis will miss his third straight start after leaving Monday's game with a quad injury. 

Mark Canha will fill in at first base while batting seventh. The team has not indicated when Davis might return to the lineup. 

Indians center fielder Michael Bourn and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall were not included in the starting lineup Friday night against left-hander Bruce Chen and the Rangers, per the team's official website.

Bourn is a .200 hitter (8 for 40) this season against southpaws. Chisenhall has fared better against left-handers, slashing .256/.326/.308 on the year. Manager Terry Francona inserted Zach Walters at third. Michael Brantley shifted to center field, with Ryan Raburn in the left field and at the cleanup spot.

There will be a Martinez batting cleanup for the Tigers in St. Louis on Friday night. But for the second straight game, it will be J.D. Martinez rather than Victor Martinez.

The latter is sitting out not because he has been in a season-long slump, but due to the game being played in a National League park.

J.D. Martinez, on the other hand, is on a five-game hitting streak and has nine walks in the last eight games. His slash line is a solid .244/.314/.465.

Would the Dodgers consider shopping third baseman Juan Uribe? It may not be out of the question, once new Cuban-import Hector Olivera passes his upcoming physical and finalizes his contract. With Olivera on board, the Dodgers will have a surplus of quality third basemen, with the aformentioned Olivera and Uribe, along with Justin Turner and Alex Guerrero.

As CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman notes, Guerrero can opt-out of his current contract at the end of the season if he is dealt, making a deal unlikely. The Dodgers would like to hang on to Turner thanks to his versatility. So of the quartet, Urbie seems the likliest to be dealt (that's if the Dodgers decide to make any deals).

Uribe, who is batting .247 in a part-time role in 2015, is scheduled to be a free agent after the season, so any team looking for a short-term piece at third base could look to the Dodgers for a possible fit.