MLB Player News

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley went 2 for 5 with a two-run home run in Friday night's victory over the Blue Jays. Brantley also singled and scored twice on the evening. Brantley's fourth-inning bomb broke a 4-4 tie, and the Indians went on to win 9-4.

This was Brantley's first home run of the year, after hitting 20 last season. However, Brantley is still hitting well, with a slash line of .455/.486/.697 over his last eight games. 

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson broke open Friday's game against the Diamondbacks when he hit a grand slam off Rubby De La Rosa in the second inning to help send the Dodgers to a 8-0 win.

It was Pederson's fifth home run of the season. He finished the game 1 for 3 and is now batting .300 on the season. The four RBI were a season high for Pederson.

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate during Friday's 4-3 win over the Phillies.

Ozuna's biggest hit came in the ninth inning when he drove in Giancarlo Stanton on a double for the game-winning run. The four hits were a season high for Ozuna. Prior to Friday's game, he had yet to collect more than two hits in any game this season.

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon is set to sit Friday for only the second time this season. Drew Stubbs is manning the position while DJ LeMahieu will lead off.

Blackmon, who is 4-for-18 in his career against Padres starter Ian Kennedy, was hitless in his last game after four straight multi-hit performances.

The Giants are going with Matt Duffy and Andrew Susac in Friday night's lineup for their game against the Angels. 

Duffy has been alternating starts at second base with Joe Panik and has been tabbed for this one. Susac is getting the start at catcher, meaning Buster Posey will play first base.

Brandon Belt is not starting as Nori Aoki is in the lineup and playing in left field. 

With Jose Reyes on the disabled list and Devon Travis getting his second day off this season, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons decided to shake up his lineup Friday against the Indians.

Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion all moved up one spot in the lineup, which meant Donaldson moved into the leadoff spot. It was the first time in Donaldson's career he hit leadoff.

Russell Martin moved into the cleanup spot, which is usually where Encarnacion bats. He was followed by Kevin Pillar, Michael Saunders, Dalton Pompey, Ryan Goins (who started for Travis) and Jonathan Diaz.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper ended the month of April in style, cranking out a bases-clearing double in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field. Harper, who is not a stranger to fast starts, closed the month leading the Nationals in home runs (five), RBI (15), runs scored (18) and on-base percentage (.440).

"Hopefully, I keep going. That's all I want to do," Harper said, per MLB.com. "I just want to stay in the lineup, stay healthy all year and hopefully play 150, 160 games. That's all I care about. As long as we are winning ballgames, it's huge for us. I love playing in April. I don't know why. I'm very comfortable in April. Hopefully, I can feel comfortable the next five months, too."

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter was the team's leadoff man for 329 straight starts in the last three seasons. He revealed that manager Mike Matheny approached him earlier in the week and brought up to the idea of moving him to the No. 2 spot moving forward, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"He didn't actually mention putting me there," Carpenter said. "He just said I would fit that hole well, but that 'we don't want to move you out of that leadoff spot.'

"The very next day, he decided to go with it."

Since taking over the second spot in the batting order on Tuesday, Carpenter has hit .364 (4 for 11) with two doubles, a triple and three RBI in three games.

"I'm a fan of it," Carpenter said. "I think it worked this week and I think it's going to continue to work."

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller committed two errors earlier this week on wild throws and was perhaps saved by first baseman Logan Morrison by one or two more, but neither he nor manager Lloyd McClendon are too worried about the shortstop's shaky throws, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

"I just had two throws that were a little shaky," Miller said, "but that’s how it works. You’re not going to be perfect every time. It’s nothing too extreme. Obviously, you want to make accurate throws, but you’ve just go to keep making plays. I made every play the next day. You just kind of keep going. You can’t get too worked up."

McClendon didn't dismiss Miller's issues completely but didn't see any major reasons for concern.

"It’s just footwork," McClendon said. "He’s got a good arm. I think, at times, he just forgets his footwork. He’s got to continue to work on it. I think he’s going to be fine because everything is correctable."

Miller was able to make a fine defensive play in the seventh inning of Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Astros. He went 0 for 1 with two walks at the plate and has hit .277/.333/.400 with one home run, seven RBI and three stolen bases in 65 at-bats.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 2 for 4 with one walk, two doubles and three RBI in his team's 8-2 win over the Mets Thursday.

Harper collected all three of his RBI with a bases-loaded double in the ninth inning, adding three insurance runs on the board and taking the Nationals out of a potential save situation. He's now hit .286/.440/.545 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 77 at-bats.