MLB Player News

Ruf (oblique) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

The 35-year-old has been progressing well in his recovery since landing on the IL last week with a strained right oblique, and he's trending toward a minimum stay on the shelf. Ruf could see increased playing time at first base along with LaMonte Wade once activated, as Brandon Belt recently suffered a fractured thumb.

Dickerson is not starting Tuesday against Arizona, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Brandon Belt's (finger) move to the injured list was expected to lead to more starts for Dickerson against righty starters, but the outfielder will begin Tuesday's game on the bench with right-hander Luke Weaver taking the ball for the Diamondbacks. LaMonte Wade shifts to first base as Kris Bryant, Steven Duggar and Mike Yastrzemski man the outfield from left to right.

Ozuna (finger) had his administrative leave extended through the end of the postseason Tuesday, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Ozuna landed on the injured list with broken fingers in late May and was arrested on aggravated assault and family violence charges shortly thereafter. He entered a diversion program in early September which could see those charges dropped, but the league can come to its own conclusion regarding any potential suspension regardless of the court's decision. MLB's investigation is ongoing, so he hasn't been officially suspended yet, but he now won't play until sometime next season at the earliest.

Winker (ribs) will miss the remainder of the 2021 season, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Winker resumed rehab drills last weekend after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with an intercostal strain Saturday. However, the 28-year-old won't be rushed back into game action, and manager David Bell said Tuesday that Winker will be sidelined for the final few games of the season. The outfielder appeared in 110 games this year and posted a career-best .950 OPS with 24 homers, 77 runs and 71 RBI.

Blackmon is not starting Tuesday against the Nationals.

The outfielder's hitting streak ended at eight games after he went 0-for-4 with a walk and run scored Monday. He'll get his second day off in less than a week as Yonathan Daza draws the start in right field against lefty Patrick Corbin on Tuesday.

Belt was diagnosed Monday with a fractured left thumb, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt had to leave Sunday's matchup against the Rockies after being drilled by a fastball on the hand, and X-rays failed to bring good news. The timing on Belt's injury couldn't be worse for San Francisco with the postseason right around the corner. He'll meet with team doctors over the next few days to determine the next steps in his recovery and a timetable for a return, per Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, Belt is expected to be moved to the 10-day injured list for the remainder of the regular season, though a return during the playoffs has not yet been ruled out.

Pederson went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run Sunday in Atlanta's 4-3 win over San Diego.

Thanks to his nice day at the dish, Pederson was instrumental in allowing Atlanta to open its division lead over Philadelphia to two and a half games. He put Atlanta in the board with two outs in the second inning, when he sent a Joe Musgrove offering deep to right field for his 17th long ball of the season. Pederson still looks poised to finish the season as a fourth outfielder, as Eddie Rosario has seemingly usurped him for an everyday role. His start Sunday was his first since Sept. 19 and his second since Sept. 12.

Blackmon will start in right field and bat third Monday against the Nationals.

Blackmon will head into the final week of the regular season with an eight-game hitting streak on the line. Though he's delivered a .400 average over that stretch, his production has mostly been devoid of counting stats (zero home runs, zero stolen bases, four runs and three RBI). Barring a massive surge over Colorado's final six games, Blackmon will finish 2021 with his lowest home run total (he's currently at 13) in a 162-game season since 2013 and his lowest batting average (currently .273) since his 27-game rookie campaign in 2011.

Belt (hand) will get X-rays in San Francisco and it's unclear if he will be ready for the series against Arizona that begins Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

He was hit on the hand by a 93-mile-per-hour fastball while attempting a bunt in Sunday's game against the Rockies and was removed from the contest, going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored before departing. Belt underwent a scan after the game that was inconclusive, so the X-rays he will get Monday should shed light on the severity of the injury.

Belt left Sunday's game against the Rockies after getting hit in the left thumb by a pitch, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Belt initially remained in the game to run the bases but was replaced by Wilmer Flores when the Giants took the field. The severity of the injury is not yet clear, but Belt will get at least one day to rest, as the Giants have a scheduled off day Monday.