MLB Player News

Belt (illness) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Oakland, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Belt probably wouldn't have started this one anyway, with lefty JP Sears taking the ball for the Athletics. Belt has been banged up recently, though, first with a back issue and more recently a stomach virus. Belt is with the team Wednesday but is not expected to be available off the bench, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays are off Thursday, so Belt will aim to to be back in action Friday when Toronto returns home.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 5-1 victory versus Detroit on Tuesday.

Stanton mashed a 451-foot moonshot in the sixth inning for the 400th long ball of his big-league career. Per Max Goodman of The Newark Star-Ledger, only three players in MLB history -- Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez -- have reached the 400-homer mark faster than Stanton. The current Yankees slugger accomplished the feat on the heels of a recent power surge during which he has gone deep three times over his past six contests.

Blackmon is not in the Rockies' lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.

Blackmon will be out of the lineup for the first time since Aug. 16. However, he has appeared in every game since returning from a hand injury Aug. 14. Elehuris Montero will start in the 37-year-old's place as the designated hitter.

McCutchen was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a partial tear in his left Achilles, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

McCutchen will need to wear a walking boot for the next six weeks, so the injury effectively ends his season. It could also potentially spell the end of his Pirates career since he'll hit free agency this offseason, although 'Cutch has indicated a desire to come back for at least one more year. He's had a solid 2023 campaign, slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases over 112 games. McCutchen has basically been a full-time designated hitter for the Pirates this season and the team now figures to rotate through multiple players in that spot in the final month.

McCutchen (Achilles) was seen wearing a walking boot Wednesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

McCutchen departed Monday's game versus the Brewers due to left Achilles tightness and didn't play Tuesday. He has downplayed the injury previously, but it would appear it's more serious than he let on. Also noteworthy is that Jared Triolo has a locker at PNC Park, so it's possible he's taking McCutchen's spot on the roster. At the very least, McCutchen will miss another start Wednesday.

Alvarez went 3-for-6 with a two-run home run Tuesday against the Rangers.

Alvarez suffering a minor knee injury Sunday while playing the outfield. He's remained in the lineup and shown no signs of slowing down at the dish in two games since, reaching base six times across 12 at-bats. As expected, Alvarez has been an excellent hitter since returning from an oblique injury July 26, maintaining a .316 average with seven homers, 24 RBI and 22 runs scored across 36 contests.

Martini entered as a pinch hitter and hit a three-run home run in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Martini's three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning tied the game before Christian Encarnacion-Strand ended matters in the ninth. The home run was Martini's fourth in 46 plate appearances since the Reds added him to the roster in August. Prior to his stint with Cincinnati, the 33-year-old had just two homers in 333 PAs in the majors. Martini, who had an .874 OPS at Triple-A Louisville, was overlooked several times earlier this season as the club called up its younger prospects, but he may have had the biggest hit in the Reds' improbable season.

Ohtani remains day-to-day with right oblique tightness, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. "We'll see how he is [Wednesday] when he comes in," manager Phil Nevin said after Tuesday's game. "We'll have a conversation. But I think we dodged a bullet there as far as injury goes."

Tests on Ohtani's oblique showed no strain and "just a tiny bit of inflammation," per Nevin. Ohtani felt something in his oblique while taking batting practice Monday, but despite that, he pushed to play Tuesday. The Angels decided against it, but Ohtani's desire to continue hitting and the team downplaying his latest injury suggest he's not facing an imminent shutdown. His agent announced Monday that Ohtani is facing some sort of procedure on his elbow in the offseason, and the Angels are no longer in playoff contention, so an early shutdown can't be completely ruled out.

Morel went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 11-8 win over the Giants.

Morel entered the game as a pinch hitter in the third inning and made his mark in the seventh, hitting his 20th home run of the season with two runners on as the Cubs rallied for six runs in the frame. The 24-year-old has been out of the starting lineup the past three days, so he may have lost his grip on an everyday role, though he can still do some damage off the bench. Of course, fantasy managers would rather see Morel starting.

Belt (illness) isn't in the Blue Jays' lineup Tuesday against the Athletics.

A stomach virus kept Belt out of Monday's lineup, and the issue seems to still be bothering him ahead of Tuesday's contest. George Springer will serve as Toronto's DH while Belt recovers, allowing Cavan Biggio to start in right field and bat sixth.