MLB Player News

The Cardinals anticipate that Ozuna (shoulder) will be able to return from the 10-day disabled list when first eligible Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Ozuna's activity has been limited the last few days while he waits for a cortisone shot to take effect, but the fact that he traveled with the team to Colorado over the weekend suggests only a short-term absence should be in play for the outfielder. Once he's reinstated from the DL, Ozuna should slot back into an everyday role for the Cardinals, forcing Tyler O'Neill and Jose Martinez to fight for at-bats at the other corner-outfield spot.

Harper (illness) entered Sunday's game as a pinch hitter for Michael Taylor in the eighth inning and stayed in to play center field, going 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI.

It looks like Harper is over the bug that caused him to go 0-for-11 in his previous three games. Prior to the illness, he'd been slashing a stellar .385/.442/.679 through 20 games in August, so expect the slugger to get right back on track now that he's 100 percent again.

Turner went 3-for-5 two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Padres.

Turner capped off a strong weekend series against the Padres by recording his second five-RBI performance in the past week. In the three games, he went 7-for-15 with a home run, nine RBI and three runs scored. That's a microcosm of his performance in August, as he is hitting .409 with a slugging percentage north of .700 across 84 at-bats.

Reyes went 1-for-2 with a solo home run Sunday against the Dodgers.

Reyes took Hyun-jin Ryu deep in the second inning to record his 11th homer of the season and second in as many days. He's flashed his power upside throughout August, posting a .283 ISO for the month entering Sunday's contest. Despite the strong stretch, Reyes remains behind Travis Jankowski on the depth chart, leaving him on the short side of a platoon.

Carpenter went 4-for-5 with four doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 12-3 blowout win in Colorado.

Carpenter has given opposing pitchers nightmares since the start of the season's second half and Sunday's four-double performance was no exception. The 32-year-old now has 38 doubles and 34 homers this season with 87 runs scored. Carpenter continues pushing St. Louis towards the postseason as he strengthens his MVP candidacy.

Reyes will start in right field and bat fifth Sunday against the Dodgers.

Though he's stuck on the short side of a platoon in the outfield with Travis Jankowski, Reyes has been seeing the larger share of playing time lately. He'll draw his seventh start in a row Sunday, with five coming against left-handed pitchers. Over the previous six contests, Reyes has gone 5-for-15 with a home run, two runs and an RBI.

Pederson (knee) remains out Sunday against the Padres, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson likely would've been riding the pine anyway since southpaw Robbie Erlin is taking the hill for San Diego, but his knee bruise possibly played a part in the decision as well. The Dodgers are off Monday, so look for Pederson to attempt to return Tuesday when the team takes on Texas. Chris Taylor will patrol center field in his place Sunday.

Blackmon is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

Blackmon will head to the bench for only the third time since the start of July. He's slashing .288/.337/.511 with nine home runs in that stretch. Matt Holliday will start in left field for the series finale, shifting David Dahl to center field.

Harper is being held out of Sunday's lineup due to illness, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

Harper said he's been sick most of the week but the issue has worsened over the last few days. It appears to be a minor issue as the 25-year-old expects to return to the lineup in Philadelphia on Monday, but it's still a situation worth monitoring.

Harper is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper may have a .331/.410/.595 slash line with seven home runs since the All-Star break, but will get a breather Sunday as he is 0-for-11 over the last three games. Michael Taylor will start in center field while the former NL MVP should return to the lineup at Philadelphia on Monday.