MLB Player News

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, who is dealing with a sore left thumb, will not require an MRI, according to the Washington Post. Harper is expected to be sidelined for a few days in order to regain strength in his thumb. He is hitting .476 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 23 Grapefruit League games and is expected to be ready for opening day.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton got back on track with the long ball Tuesday in a Grapefruit League game against Washington. Stanton, who had one home run this spring entering the game, homered twice against Dan Haren. 

Stanton homered in the first and sixth innings, each time for a solo shot, and now has three homers on the spring. The first was an opposite-field shot and the other went to dead-center field.

"I know the last couple of days he was just feeling for it maybe a little bit,” manager Mike Redmond said of Stanton's lack of homers. "Yesterday he got a ton of breaking balls. It’s going to be an ongoing process the way they are going to pitch him. He’s just got to continue to be patient and get ready for his pitch and when he gets it try to do some damage with it. I know it’s only spring training, but he hit a couple of home runs in a game. I know that would make me feel good. I was never ever able to do that but I’m sure it would feel good."

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Tuesday that outfielder Bryce Harper is still dealing with a sore left thumb, reports MLB.com. Harper had returned to spring action Sunday, going 3 for 3 with a double and two singles, but Johnson said he'll hold him out the next couple days to allow the thumb to heal completely. He should be fine for opening day. 

I've made it pretty clear over the last couple weeks that I'd be happy to take Matt Carpenter as my starting second baseman in mixed leagues even knowing I'll need a stopgap for that first week of the season when he's still ineligible at the position.

Turns out it might be more than just a week.

With David Freese set to open the year on the DL with a sore back, Carpenter will start out at third base, with Daniel Descalso at second base. The Cardinals can backdate Freese's DL stint, so Carpenter's move to second base might only be delayed a week. If this news allows him to slip back to the 20th round or so after he started creeping into the teens in recent weeks, I'll consider it a good thing.

Matt Carpenter already secured a spot on the Cardinals' opening day roster with his tremendous showing at the plate this spring. He just won't begin the season at his projected position. Instead, Carpenter, who was slated to serve as St. Louis' regular second baseman, will shift to third base in the wake of David Freese landing on the disabled list. The move also places Daniel Descalso as the starting second baseman to open the season.

Here's a fun fact: The Giants' Brandon Belt has as many home runs this spring as he did all of last season.

Yes, it's the Cactus League, which tends to make muscle men out of lean, mean doubles-hitting matchines. Yes, it's spring training, where any stat of any note comes with a disclaimer. But for a player just entering his prime who has yet to meet his power potential but did manage to compile a .494 slugging percentage over the final two months last year, it's encouraging.

It could, in fact, be nothing, so I should warn you not to overvaluate it and reach for Belt ahead of, say, Ike Davis or Eric Hosmer. But if it's part of your justification for targeting him with a late-round pick, you should know that I'm right there with you.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was held out of the spring lineup again Monday because of a neck injury, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Belt added his neck feels better and he probably would have played if it was the regular season.

Belt is batting .433 (26 for 60) with one triple, five doubles, seven homers, 13 runs, 17 RBI and two stolen bases in 19 spring games.

After being scratched from the lineup the day before due to flu-like symptoms, Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen showed no signs of the illness in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. He went 2 for 3 with a homer, a walk and three runs scored in the 12-10 loss. McCutchen launched a two-run shot off Brian Matusz in the first inning for his third long ball of the spring.

McCutchen is batting .231 (9 for 39) through 15 Cactus League games with 10 RBI and a .513 slugging percentage.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper went 3 for 3 with a double and two singles during Washington's 9-3 victory over Atlanta in a Grapefruit League contest Sunday. Harper alleviated all concern about the swelling in his left thumb that forced him to sit Saturday and pushed his hitting streak to four games. He now has seven multihit performances this spring for a stellar .431 batting average. "It'll be fine," Harper told reporters. "If it does hurt, I’m still going to play, anyway."

The Rockies made several roster moves on Sunday as they moved pitchers Tyler Chatwood, Rob Scahill, Christian Friedrich and Josh Outman, catcher Gustavo Molina, second baseman Charlie Culberson, first baseman Ben Paulsen and outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson to minor-league camp.