MLB Player News

Harper went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, a double, two walks and a strikeout in Friday's 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

Harper doubled in the bottom of the first inning Friday, and he continued to display his power with his home run in the third frame. The 28-year-old has five extra-base hits in his last three games, and he's gone 6-for-10 with two homers, three doubles, six RBI and three runs during that time.

Torrens went 1-for-3 with a double, four RBI and two walks in Friday's loss to the Royals.

Torrens took advantage of seeing plenty of traffic on the basepaths, plating two with a double in the first inning, then pushing in another run with a bases-loaded walk in the second before belting a sacrifice fly in the 10th. During a modest four-game hitting streak, he is batting .357 (5-for-14) with two doubles and six RBI.

Blackmon went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 4-2 win over the Dodgers.

Blackmon helped Colorado get off to a promising start with a two-run shot to right field in the first inning. The long ball was his 10th in his 406th at-bat of the season -- quite a ways off the pace of his 32-homer, 580-at-bat season in 2019. Blackmon has been swinging a hot bat of late, however, hitting .344 (11-for-32) with three homers and 11 RBI over his past 10 contests.

Brantley went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over Texas.

All three of the outfielder's hits were singles, and none was bigger than a game-tying two-run knock in the middle of Houston's five-run rally in the seventh inning. Brantley had just four hits in his last nine games, so his three-hit effort Friday is an encouraging sign for him to get out of his recent slump. The 34-year-old is still slashing .320/.375/.456 with eight home runs, 45 RBI, 65 runs scored and a stolen base through 448 plate appearances this year.

Soler went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 6-5 win over San Francisco.

The outfielder gave Atlanta its first lead in the contest with a blast off San Francisco reliever Zack Littell in the seventh inning. Soler has homered three times in his last six games, going 8-for-21 (.381) in that span. He's slashing .209/.313/.403 with 19 long balls, 51 RBI and 52 runs scored through 464 plate appearances, but he's been much more reliable in August since he joined Atlanta at the trade deadline.

Rooker isn't starting Friday against the Brewers.

Rooker has had inconsistent playing time recently, and he'll head to the bench for the fifth time in the last seven games. Rob Refsnyder will start in left field and bat third.

Canha has been moved down to the seventh spot in the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Canha has been Oakland's primary leadoff man throughout the 2021 campaign, but a .141/.270/.212 August slash line makes it hard to leave him atop the order. Tony Kemp will start things off for the Athletics on Friday, while Starling Marte and Josh Harrison could also be candidates to leadoff going forward.

Dickerson isn't in the lineup Friday against Atlanta, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Dickerson drew starts in each of the last four games and went 3-for-15 with a run, two walks and five strikeouts. Darin Ruf will start in left field while Wilmer Flores takes over at first base.

Martinez isn't starting Friday's game against Cleveland, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Martinez will get a chance to reset in Friday's series opener after going 0-for-18 with a run, a walk and six strikeouts across the last four games. Rafael Devers will serve as the designated hitter while Bobby Dalbec starts at third base.

Buxton (finger) was activated off the injured list Friday and will be in the lineup against the Brewers, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton wound up missing over two months with a broken finger, an injury he suffered just three games into his return from a hip strain. While the center fielder's constant battle with injuries continue to sabotage his fantasy value, he's performed at a career-best level when available, hitting an incredible .369/.409/.767 with 10 homers and five steals in 27 games. He should be a very useful piece for both the Twins and fantasy teams for as long as he can remain on the field.