MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is out of Friday's lineup, the club announced.

Harper is likely just getting a day off, as he hasn't had one since April 16. Roger Bernadina gets the start in right field for the Nationals.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley collected his ninth multi-hit game since April 20 Thursday against the Athletics. Brantley finished 2 for 5 with one run.

Since April 20, Brantley is batting .342 (25 for 73) with one triple, one home run, four doubles, nine RBI and 10 runs in his last 17 games.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes hit third for just the second time this season Thursday against the Indians, and it had everything to do with left-handed hurler Scott Kazmir being on the mound.

Cespedes entered play Thursday batting .316 (6 for 19) with three home runs and a .789 slugging percentage in 13 games against lefties this season.

"Just more of a lefty thing -- get him up there, make sure he gets up in the first inning, too. Scoot everybody up a little bit," manager Bob Melvin said, per MLB.com. "So you want to get those guys up sooner rather than later -- the guys you expect to do a little more damage off the left-handed pitcher."

Mets second baseman Justin Turner played the outfield for the first time in his career Wednesday.

Turner did play one game in the outfield during spring training, but has primarily been used in the infield during the regular season. Turner didn't have a defensive chance Wednesday, so manager Terry Collins couldn't get a good grasp on his defensive performance. Collins hinted that this defensive alignment wouldn't happen often, saying "...to ask Justin Turner to play left field when he’s never played the outfield in his life, to start a game or to play there on a consistent basis, that’s a lot to ask."

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera appeared to tweak his back after grounding out in the sixth inning Wednesday against the Nationals. Cabrera, however, wasn't concerned, MLive.com reports.

"My lower back was a little sore," he said. "But it's no big deal. I was able to play nine innings. Hopefully tomorrow they will work it out, I'll get a good stretch and be ready to play."

Cabrera, who went 1 for 4 with an RBI single, looked OK in the field as he finished the game.

"He's OK," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper became the third National League player with 10 home runs this season by hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Tigers. The 1-for-3 day give him a .313/.395/.652 line in 129 plate appearances.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter reached base four times in Wednesday's series finale against the Cubs. He went 2 for 3 with a pair of walks and two runs scored in the 5-4 win.

The 27-year-old reached on an infield single in the fifth inning before hitting a double in the seventh.

Carpenter is batting .346 (9 for 26) so far in May with one RBI and five runs scored.

The Marlins have been tight-lipped about Giancarlo Stanton's hamstring injury, saying only that the best-case scenario is a return to the lineup in 2-3 weeks. Despite the lack of concrete information, Fantasy owners have no choice but to keep the slugger stashed, as Scott White notes in his Reality Check column.

White ranks Stanton as the No. 1 player currently on the disabled list. You don't need us to remind you that Stanton is an undroppable player, especially since he disappointed so badly prior to the injury. You have to hang on to Stanton for as long as it takes to recover, even as you grumble about how injury-prone he has proven to be in his young career. 

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen notched his second four-hit performance of the year Tuesday against the Mariners. McCutchen ripped a run-scoring double off of starter Aaron Harang in the first inning before singling in each of his next three at-bats.

He also stole his seventh base and finished 4 for 4 with an RBI and run scored in the 4-1 win.

McCutchen has hit safely in five of the last seven games and is batting .464 (13 for 28) with two home runs, one double and five RBI over that stretch.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson told reporters Tuesday that outfielder Bryce Harper will not be fined or suspended for his actions during Sunday's game against the Pirates. Harper was ejected that game after arguing a called third strike on a check swing with third-base umpire John Hirschbeck.

Harper is in the midst of a 2-for-22 slump and has not had a multi-hit game since April 27. He's hitting .312/.400/.633 with nine homers and 18 RBI through 109 at-bats. The 20-year-old carried a .284/.368/.523 line with four homers and 11 RBI through his first 109 at-bats last season.