MLB Player News

Belt will hit the bench against lefty Adrian Morejon and the Padres on Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt started against a southpaw on Opening Day but has now found himself on the bench against the last two lefties the Giants have faced. Wilmer Flores starts ahead of him at first base.

Pederson will not start Monday against the Brewers.

Pederson started against the first lefty the Cubs faced, getting the nod against Tyler Anderson on Saturday. He'll sit against another left-handed Anderson (Brett) on Monday, with Ian Happ sliding to left field and Jake Marisnick starting in center. Just how often Pederson finds himself starting against same-sided pitching this season remains to be seen.

Winker (illness) remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.

Winker will stick on the bench for a second straight game while he continues to recover from the illness that forced him out of Saturday's win over the Cardinals. Tyler Naquin will spell him in left field while serving as Cincinnati's leadoff hitter.

Pederson is 0-for-6 with a walk and five strikeouts through his first two games.

Pederson had a great spring training, registering a .378/.431/1.000 slash line in 18 games, but that hasn't translated to a fast start to the regular season. It is of course a very small sample size, and the 28-year-old outfielder has been a streaky performer in the past, so the hits could start coming soon.

Winker (illness) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Winker was removed from Saturday's 9-6 win after feeling under the weather, so he's presumably just getting a day off to recuperate from the ailment. Tyler Naqun will man left field and hit leadoff in Winker's stead.

Manager David Bell said Winker was removed from Saturday's win over the Cardinals because the outfielder "wasn't feeling great," C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old went 1-for-4 with one run before being replaced by Nick Senzel to open the sixth inning. It doesn't appear to be a serious concern, so Winker may not miss time and should be considered day-to-day.

Turner will get the day off Saturday against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Turner is expected to be managed fairly carefully this season, though he isn't the only Dodger regular to sit Saturday, as Mookie Betts will also get a rest. Edwin Rios gets the start at the hot corner.

Blackmon went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 11-6 loss to the Dodgers.

The Rockies did all their scoring in the seventh inning, as Blackmon ruined Trevor Bauer's shutout bid with the first of four Colorado homers in the frame. It's the veteran outfielder's only hit through the first two games of the season, but with home games in Coors Field to bolster his numbers, there's little reason to be concerned about Blackmon's production.

Turner went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three RBI in Friday's 11-6 win over the Rockies.

The veteran third baseman brought home one run with his second-inning double and two more with a single in the fourth, helping the Dodgers build a big early lead. Turner hasn't posted an OPS below .860 since 2016, and even at 37 years old there's no indication he's about to slow down any time soon.

Belt is not in Friday's lineup against the Mariners, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

He got the start Thursday against a lefty but will head to the bench with another lefty (Yusei Kikuchi) on the mound. Belt went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in the opener. Wilmer Flores will start at first base and bat sixth.