MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will not set a timetable for his recovery from thumb surgery, according to MASN.

Harper said he would be back when he feels healthy. Early Thursday, manager Matt Williams said he was hoping to get Harper back by July 1. Harper did add that he's "feeling better every day" during his rehab.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is dealing with some shoulder soreness, but manager Bob Melvin told reporters Wednesday he would be able to play through it as long as it didn't affect his hitting.

It didn't affect his hitting Wednesday against the Yankees. Cespedes put together his second three-hit effort in the last four games, with two of the hits going over the fences for solo home runs. He drove in two runs and scored two while going 3 for 5 in a 7-4 win.  

Cespedes raised his average to .250, up from just .236 five days prior. He is hitting .250/.306/.519 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 55 games. 

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter went 5 for 5 with one walk, two doubles, two RBI and two runs in his team's 5-2, 11-inning win over the Royals Wednesday.

Carpenter has racked up multiple hits in six of his last eight games, and Wednesday's hit explosion gives him a batting average over .300 for the first time since early April. He has hit .307/.395/.395 with one home run and 20 RBI in 238 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 3-2 loss to the Padres Wednesday.

McCutchen cut the Padres' lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, but they got the run back in the bottom half of the inning. The homer was McCutchen's second homer in four June games after failing to record a single home run in May. He has hit .299/.420/.472 with six home runs, 26 RBI and seven stolen bases in 214 at-bats.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is dealing with shoulder soreness, but should be able to play through it moving forward.

Manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday Cespedes is receiving treatment for the shoulder, and will play through it until it affects his swing. Cespedes dealt with a similar issue at the end of last season. 

The Nationals are targeting July 1 as a potential return date for injured outfielder Bryce Harper, NatsInsider.com reports.

"We don’t know yet, but I’d like to see him back by the 1st of July," manager Matt Williams said Wednesday. "I think that would be a good target, but we just don’t know. It depends on how everything else goes."

Harper has begun preliminary on-field work the past two days as he recovers from a torn ligament in his thumb suffered in late April. He has yet to receive clearance to catch the ball or take swings.

A right knee laceration has landed Phillies minor league outfielder Darin Ruf on the Triple-A disabled list.

Ruf was demoted from Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley on Sunday.

Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez went 1 for 4 with a three-run home run in his team's 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays Tuesday.

Martinez delivered his shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring his team within two, but that was as close as they would get before the Blue Jays finished off the win. He has hit .262/.324/.492 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 61 at-bats.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will be able to remove his cast for good Friday, a big step in his recovery from a fractured left thumb.

Belt will have X-rays taken in the thumb before he is cleared to move on his recovery, but could be able to begin baseball activities if he is. He has so far been limited to swinging off a tee with his right hand, but the San Francisco Chronicle reports he could be back two weeks after he is cleared to move forward.

Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna has hit .314 over his last 10 games, with three homers and seven RBI. He has three two-hit games in that span and has upped his average to .265/.313/.449.