MLB Player News

Harper underwent surgery to repair his fractured left thumb Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The 6-to-8 week timetable lines up with a previous report which indicated Harper could return in mid-August. Harper is already on the 10-day injured list after suffering the injury over the weekend, and it'll likely be a couple weeks before he can resume baseball activities. The 29-year-old was limited to serving as the designated hitter since mid-April due to a small tear in the UCL of his right elbow, and he'll now have some time to perhaps heal up from that injury.

Turner isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Turner will get a day off after he went 3-for-17 with three RBI, a run, a stolen base, two walks and four strikeouts over the last five games. Max Muncy is serving as the designated hitter while Eddy Alvarez starts at third base.

The Giants optioned Mercedes to Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Mercedes was moved off the 26-man active roster to clear room for outfielder LaMonte Wade (knee), who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. After being claimed off waivers from the White Sox on July 18 and joining the big club about a week later, Mercedes appeared in two games for the Giants and went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Canha isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Astros.

Canha will get a breather after he went 0-for-12 with an RBI and three strikeouts over the last three games. Ender Inciarte is taking over in left field and batting eighth.

Blackmon went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs in a 7-4 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Blackmon had a big night at the plate, frequently passing the baton to his teammates by getting on base nearly every time up. His double off Yency Almonte was his eighth of the year. The 35-year-old outfielder has been playing well in June, slashing .311/.339/.534 with five home runs during the month.

Belt is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tigers, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports.

Belt is 5-for-26 in 11 games since returning from the injured list June 14, and he'll take a seat Tuesday with lefty Tarik Skubal pitching for Detroit. Darin Ruf will start at first base for San Francisco.

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said Harper will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair his fractured left thumb, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Thomson declined to put a timeline on Harper's recovery from surgery, but Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported earlier Tuesday that the two-time National League MVP could be back from the 10-day injured list in as few as six weeks. A mid-August return may be on the more ambitious side, however, and the possibility exists that the Phillies could delay activating Harper if the team finds itself out of contention by late summer. Before he fractured the thumb Sunday when it was hit by a pitch, Harper had been playing through a small tear in the UCL of his right (throwing) elbow, which had prevented him from playing the outfield since April 16. If there's a positive side to Harper being shut down following thumb surgery, it's that it'll afford him more time to heal from the elbow injury.

Madris is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals.

With southpaw Patrick Corbin on the bump for Washington, the lefty-hitting Madris will give way to the right-hitting Diego Castillo in right field. Through his first seven big-league starts, Madris has recorded a hit in all but one game while slashing .345/.345/.586 with a home run, four doubles, six RBI, five runs and a stolen base.

Vogelbach will sit against lefty Patrick Corbin and the Pirates on Tuesday.

Vogelbach has had stretches as more than a platoon player this season, but he's now been on the bench against four of the last five southpaws the Pirates have faced. His .111/.231/.133 line in 52 plate appearances against lefties this year suggests he probably shouldn't be facing same-sided pitching very often. Josh VanMeter will be the designated hitter Tuesday.

Harper will require surgery for his broken thumb but could return in six weeks, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Harper suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch Saturday against San Diego. Previous reports indicated that he was tracking toward a return in late August, but Salisbury's report indicates he could return sometime in the first half of that month. A more precise idea of his return date should emerge once he's through surgery and begins ramping back up.