MLB Player News

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners.

Cespedes has been dealing with a hamstring issue over the last two weeks, though he was said to be over the injury late last week. Coming off a two-hit game Sunday, Cespedes has hit .260/.348/.490 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 100 at-bats.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter has at least one strikeout in five of his last six games and has totaled 32 through 32 games, which is well ahead of the pace he set last season with 98 strikeouts in 157 games.

"He has such a good eye and knows his zone (but) those borderlines are getting called right now," manager Mike Matheny said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "You see Carp fouling off tough pitches. I see him fouling off some pitches that he would normally square up a little more. Having a high pitch count isn’t necessarily a good thing when you’re getting pitches you can drive."

Carpenter, who is averaging 4.24 pitches per at-bat, is hitting .264 with a .314 slugging percentage after batting .318 with a .481 slugging percentage last season. Carpenter said he's still not comfortable yet with his swing.

"That’s the beauty of this game and especially my skill set -- even if my swing is just OK I can be productive too, get on base, take a walk, find a way to squeak a base hit in," Carpenter said. "That’s kind of been the story of my season so far. The swing has not felt great, yet. I’m trying to find a way to work counts, get good pitches and battle. The (swing) wasn’t great. It didn’t feel great. But in terms of being competitive, that’s one thing you can do everyday."

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton continued his assault on baseballs Sunday against the Dodgers.

Stanton didn't waste any time going to work. He smashed a two-run shot in his first at-bat to the opposite field. Stanton was actually bested his second time up, striking out against Stephen Fife. He rebounded nicely in the sixth, leading off the inning with a solo shot on a 77 mph curveball. He walked in his final at-bat.

Stanton finished 2 for 3, with two runs scored and three RBI. He's hitting .285 with 10 home runs. 

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna went 2 for 6 with a three-run home run in his team's 9-7, extra-innings loss to the Dodgers Saturday.

Ozuna's home run cut the Dodgers' lead to 7-6 in the seventh inning before the Marlins tied the game in the ninth. He has hit .289/.339/.465 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 114 at-bats.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was just 1 for 4 Saturday but hit his eighth home run in his teams' 3-1 win over the Braves.

Belt kicked off the scoring with a second-inning solo home run, and his offense would follow with two more solo home runs in the low-scoring affair. He has hit .252/.291/.495 while striking out 35 times in 111 at-bats.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will serve as the team's designated hitter Saturday against the Red Sox. 

Cespedes' leg is still not 100 percent, and he'll take an opportunity to get some rest. Cespedes is hitting .261 in 92 at-bats.

Rockies center fielder and leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon not only remained torrid at the plate Friday night against the Mets, but he matched his 2013 home run total in the process.

Blackmon slugged his sixth home run in 108 at-bats after doing the same in 246 at-bats last season. He hit a solo blast in the seventh and added two singles in raising his average to .380 and slugging percentage to .630.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley clubbed his fifth home run Friday against the White Sox.

Brantley took an 85 mph cutter from John Danks out to right field to lead off the fifth inning. He had already collected a single during the contest. The following inning, Brantley added another single, which drove in a run. 

He finished the contest 3 for 5, with two runs scored and three RBI.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen collected three hits Saturday against the Blue Jays.

McCutchen worked an eight-pitch at-bat in the first inning, eventually hitting a double. He would be left stranded at second base. McCutchen singled in a run in his next at-bat, and later singled again in the bottom of the fifth inning. He also stole his fourth base of the year following the hit. 

McCutchen finished the game 3 for 5, with no runs scored and two RBI. He's hitting .309 in 110 at-bats. 

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes played the field for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury. He returned to the lineup Tuesday as a designated hitter and is now no longer hampered by the injury, manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com on Friday.

"That's why we kind of took it easy the first couple of days," said manager Bob Melvin. "You never know until he actually gets out there, but we feel like he's ready to go."