MLB Player News

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is one of the hottest hitters in the game through the early portion of the season, leading the majors in walks (30) and runs (29), and ranking second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.119), home runs (12) and RBI (31).

Washington hitting coach Rick Schu said he's never seen a run like Harper in his 34 years in baseball. Yet somehow, the 22-year-old Harper doesn't appear to be too surprised by his red-hot power surge to start the season, per the Washington Post.

"I've done it before," Harper said. "I'm not saying that to be cocky at all, but I'm saying that I want to do that again. I don't want that to be the last time I do it.

"This is what I was like in high school and college," Harper said. "That’s what people don’t understand. I was healthy. Staying healthy is what I need to do. This is the type of player I need to be and the type of player I want to be. Everybody talks about how I'm doing this different or I'm doing that different. There's nothing different. It's staying healthy and staying in the lineup. Truly.

" ... I know it is way different here than in college and high school but if you look at all the stats I had in college and high school, they were absurd because I was in the lineup every single day. I played every day. I played year-round. I had the reps, I had the stuff, and I was never hurt. I was never hurt at all."

Harper had two four-homer games while at the College of Southern Nevada, where he hit 31 homers in one 66-game season in 2010. Harper notched his first three-homer game earlier in May, and is hitting .500 (14 for 28) with 12 runs scored, three doubles, seven homers, 16 RBI and seven walks over his last eight games played.

He's also showing more patience at the plate. Last season he drew 38 walks in 395 plate appearances (100 games). This season he has an MLB-best 33 walks in 156 plate appearances (36 games).

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is back in the starting lineup for Friday's matinee against the Cubs. McCutchen was given a day of rest on Thursday, though he did pinch-hit late in the game.

He is taking his normal place in the No. 3 spot in the lineup, with the hot-hitting Jung Ho Kang moving up to the fifth spot in the order for the first time this season.

Brad Miller is set to make his debut in left field Thursday night for the Mariners against visiting Boston. He had only started at shortstop and designated hitter this season.

Miller, who has been honing his skills in left, has shown signs of emerging from a slump with four hits, including a home run, in the last two games. He began May on a 2-for-24 slide.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter struck out three times in his first three at-bats Thursday in Cleveland. Then he made up for it with one swing in the eighth inning.

"I was able to lay off a couple tough sinkers by (Marc) Rzepczynski and get one up in the zone and put a good swing on it," Carpenter said after the game, per MLB.com.

Carpenter blasted a two-run homer just over the outstretched glove of Michael Bourn in right-center to turn a potential 1-0 loss into a 2-1 lead that stood up. He has six home runs and 23 RBI on the year.

His .612 slugging percentage ranks sixth in the majors.

Indians top hitter Michael Brantley couldn't produce with runners in scoring position in a defeat of St. Louis on Wednesday, but he came through with the bases empty Thursday.

Brantley broke a scoreless tie to lead off the sixth by blasting one off Michael Wacha over the right-field fence. He now has four home runs and a fine slash line of .330/.403/.528.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera had quite an afternoon on Thursday against the Twins. Cabrera went 3 for 5 with two, two-run home runs and drove in a season-high five runs.

This was his third multi-home run game of the season so far. He hit his eighth home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, and his ninth came two innings later. The big performance lifted Cabrera's season batting average to .328.

Brad Miller is trying to adjust to life after shortstop for the Mariners. Miller, who has been transitioning from shortstop the outfield in recent weeks, slugged his second home run of the season on Wednesday as the team's designated hitter.

Miller was taking fly balls in left field prior to Wednesday's game against the Padres. But the 25-year-old is trying to get comfortable learning a new position.

"It's definitely different," Miller said Wednesday, per MLB.com. "But the main thing is, you've got to show up for work every day and bust your tail. So that's just meant keeping my head down and getting my work in and helping us any way I can."

And despite his .188 batting average over his last 10 games, manager Lloyd McClendon has liked what he has seen from the youngster.

"He's done a nice job," said McClendon. "He's swung the bat pretty decent. He's part of the reason we had a four-game winning streak. I've been pleased with him in that spot."

Attention major-league umpires: If Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper feels you're talking down to him, he'll let you have it. 

In Wednesday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks, Harper was tossed after a debatable check swing. Harper felt he checked but umpire Rob Drake called him out on strikes. Harper felt Drake should have checked with the third base umpire about the play. 

“‘You’re gonna have to check it," Harper said he told Drake, according to The Washington Post. "He said, ‘You’re really gonna act like that?’ I didn’t like that comment from him. I don’t like getting talked down to by an umpire. I respect the umpires as much as I can but to tell me I’m going to act like that I gave him a piece of my mind.”

Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez, who left Wednesday with a back injury, returned to the starting lineup, but as a designated hitter Thursday afternoon against the Twins. Yoenis Cespedes will play left field, with Rajai Davis in right and Anthony Gose in center.

Martinez is hitting .236 (29 for 123) with seven homers and 16 RBI in 33 games.

Detroit is favored (-157) at home against Minnesota, per VegasInsider.com.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is not in Thursday's lineup against the Phillies. More than likely, this is just a day off for the veteran. 

After a cold start in April, McCutchen has seen his batting average rise as he's recorded hits in seven of his last eight games. 

Outfielder Gregory Polanco is back in the lineup and hitting first. First baseman Pedro Alvarez is hitting fifth. Third baseman Jung Ho Kang is hitting sixth and catcher Chris Stewart is batting ninth.