MLB Player News

Pirates vice president of baseball operations said Sunday that Choi (Achilles) is likely to require more than a 10-day stint on the injured list, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

The 31-year-old will be eligible to be activated April 25, but his absence is likely to extend into May. Choi suffered the Achilles strain during spring training and played through the issue during the first couple weeks of the season, but the Pirates opted to place him on the shelf after a 4-for-32 start to the campaign.

Winker was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres due to right oblique tightness, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The 29-year-old returned to the lineup Saturday after he missed five games due to bronchitis, but he's now dealing with an oblique injury. Mike Brosseau will step into the lineup, and Winker should be considered day-to-day until more information is available.

Carpenter is not in the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Brewers, Annie Heilbrunn of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Carpenter is 1-for-13 with two walks and seven strikeouts in his past five contests and will sit Sunday for the third time in San Diego's past four games, though it's worth noting the Brewers are throwing left-hander Wade Miley, which would normally be cause for Carpenter to start the game on the bench anyway. Nelson Cruz will make another start at designated hitter, batting cleanup.

Ozuna is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Ozuna is not in the starting lineup for the second time in three games and is currently mired in a 1-for-19 slump over his last six games. Sean Murphy will be the designated hitter and hit cleanup for Atlanta while Chadwick Tromp gets the start behind the plate.

Soler (back) is batting cleanup as the designated hitter Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

The 31-year-old exited Friday's contest due to lower-back tightness and didn't start Saturday, though his appearance as a pinch hitter was a clear sign the injury wasn't a serious concern. Soler is back in the lineup after sitting out one game, and he'll attempt to bust out of a 3-for-22 slump.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters Saturday that Harper (elbow) may not take part in a rehab assignment in the minor leagues, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Harper echoed those sentiments in a conversation with Lauber, noting that he believes he can get his timing down without necessarily reporting to the minors. The two-time MVP is working back from Tommy John surgery, and it's been recently reported that he'll work at first base in an attempt to get on the field quickly, though his first games this season will almost definitely be as the designated hitter. Whether Harper goes on a rehab assignment or not, it seems likely that the 30-year-old star will be back with the Phillies and helping fantasy teams in the summer months as long as there are not setbacks.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run home run in the 10th inning of Saturday's victory over St. Louis.

With the score tied at 3-3 in the 10th, McCutchen broke the knot with a two-run shot off Jordan Hicks. The 36-year-old outfielder has gone deep twice in his return season to the Bucs while driving in six runs over 14 games to go along with three stolen bases. It's a small sample, but after struggling to a .237 average and .700 OPS with the Brewers in 2022, it's encouraging to see McCutchen get off to a strong start in 2023.

Winker (illness) is back in the starting lineup Saturday against the Padres.

Winker will serve as the Brewers' designated hitter and bat second after missing five straight games because of an illness. He's tallied seven RBI in eight games when healthy this year.

Soler (back) remains out of the lineup Saturday versus the Diamondbacks.

Soler is considered day-to-day with lower-back tightness. Bryan De La Cruz, Jazz Chisholm and Jesus Sanchez will start across the outfield. Avisail Garcia is taking a turn as the designated hitter.

Choi was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to April 14, with a left Achilles strain.

It was originally labeled as posterior ankle discomfort, but further testing has revealed the Achilles strain. There is no timetable for Cjoi's return. Tucupita Marcano is up from Triple-A Indianapolis to provide the Pirates with some infield depth.