MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Marlins.

He staked Atlanta to a 3-0 lead by taking Trevor Rogers deep in the first inning. Ozuna has gone yard in three straight games and four of the last six as part of a seven-game hitting streak, but the surge has only boosted his slash line on the year to .224/.268/.414 as he pulls himself out of a deep early season hole.

Belt isn't starting Friday against the Padres, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt started in the last eight matchups but will get a breather after he went 1-for-17 with a run, a walk and seven strikeouts over the last four games. Wilmer Flores will shift to first base while Thairo Estrada enters the lineup at the keystone.

Pederson isn't starting Friday against the Padres, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Pederson has operated in the strong side of a platoon this year, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second straight game since left-hander Sean Manaea is on the mound Friday. Darin Ruf, Austin Slater and Luis Gonzalez are starting in the outfield from left to right.

Morel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI in Friday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

Morel has gotten off to a fast start in his MLB career, as he now has two home runs, three RBI and a 1.371 OPS through four games (three starts). The 22-year-old got the call from Double-A Tennessee to provide some outfield depth with Jason Heyward hitting the COVID-19 injured list, but Morel is making a case for more extended playing time if he stays this hot at the plate.

Torrens is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.

Torrens will take a seat Friday for the third time in the past four games. Cal Raleigh will receive the start behind the plate, forming a battery with Robbie Ray.

Cabrera is starting as the designated hitter and batting third in Friday's game against the Guardians.

Cabrera got the Tigers' last game off Wednesday, so the veteran ended up with two days of rest in between starts with the team not in action Thursday. Cabrera has a solid .286 batting average, but with Detroit sitting at just 13-25, the 39-year-old may see more regular breaks the rest of the season, especially on games that come before off days in the schedule.

Alvarez will sit Friday against the Rangers.

Alvarez finds himself on the bench for the first time in over a month. He's having a strong season at the plate, hitting .248/.357/.570 with 12 homers, though he's gone hitless in five of his last six games, so a day off will probably do him some good. Michael Brantley will rest his legs as the designated hitter in his absence, with Chas McCormick starting in left.

McCutchen (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

McCutchen has been sidelined the past two weeks after testing positive for the virus, but he'll rejoin Milwaukee's active roster ahead of Friday's matchup with Washington. The 35-year-old has a .240/.291/.350 slash line with two home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs and three stolen bases in 110 plate appearances this year.

Harper (elbow) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old was initially expected to miss only one game after receiving a PRP injection last weekend to address the UCL sprain in his right elbow, but he'll now be sidelined for the fifth straight contest. Harper has been limited to serving as the designated hitter for most of the season due to the injury, though it hasn't affected his ability to hit given his .305/.361/.634 slash line with nine home runs, 27 RBI, 29 runs and six stolen bases. It's unclear when he may be able to rejoin the lineup, and for now he should be considered day-to-day.

Soler (back) will bat third as the designated hitter Friday against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Soler sat out the past two games while battling lower-back stiffness, but he'll return to the lineup for Friday's series opener. The 30-year-old is in the midst of a seven-game hit streak during which he has three home runs and a .940 OPS.