MLB Player News

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf will not begin baseball activities until early next week, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Ruf is dealing with wrist and knee issues, and still has some swelling in his leg. Ruf was placed on the Triple-A disabled list Thursday. He's received just 10 at-bats in the majors this season.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton provided a key late home run Thursday, in an 11-6 win over the Rays.

Stanton clubbed a two-run home run in the seventh inning, to extend a Marlins lead to 8-5. Though the homer didn't give the Marlins a lead, it provided the ultimate winning margin, though the team would add on in the late innings to make it comfortable. He finished the game 2 for 5 with one run scored and two driven in.

Stanton is off to the best start of his career, batting .314/.407/.614 with a National-League-best 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 60 games. 

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna sparked a massive offensive performance Thursday, in an 11-6 win over the Rays.

Ozuna led a well-rounded effort for the Marlins, as he drove in four runs in the win. He was 3 for 5, and drove in a run with each hit, including two on a ninth-inning home run, his 11th of the season.

Ozuna is now hitting .274/.319/.466 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 58 games this season, already having surpassed his totals in both categories from his rookie year, in 12 fewer games. 

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf was placed on the disabled list at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in recent days, after he suffered wrist and knee injuries.

Ruf bruised his right knee and sprained his left wrist after running into a wall Tuesday. According to MLB.com, it is not yet known how long he is expected to be out, but he did need stitches for the knee injury. 

Bruce Bochy has announced that Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will visit a doctor Friday to have two pins removed from his fractured left thumb, MLB.com has reported.

Bochy added that the next 10 days to two weeks will be critical in determining when Belt can begin a rehab stint.

Belt sustained his injury in mid-May after being hit on the hand by a pitch.

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.