MLB Player News

Turner (wrist) is out of Friday's lineup against the Braves.

While Turner was able to enter Thursday's contest as a defensive substitute, it sounds like the team is not confident with the types of swings he is taking since returning from his wrist injury. He is hitting an uncharacteristically mediocre .243/.325/.343 since returning, and a disabled list stint has not been ruled out. Max Muncy will start at third base while Cody Bellinger gets the nod at first base.

Cespedes (hip) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Cespedes will serve as designated hitter Friday and play the field Saturday for the Rumble Ponies before being re-evaluated. Earlier this week it was reported the 32-year-old wouldn't require a rehab stint, so if everything checks out after Saturday he could seemingly return to the Mets in short order.

Turner (wrist) was brought in as part of a double switch Thursday, but he did not record a plate appearance in an 8-7 win over the Pirates.

Turner was held out of the starting lineup after manager Dave Roberts noticed his slugging third baseman was still struggling with the wrist injury that cost him the first month and a half of the season. Wrist injuries -- along with hamate bone injuries -- take the longest for hitters to fully recover their power from, and the 33-year-old's .243/.325/.343 slash line in 20 games since his return from the DL is another example of that. Turner's spot in the order never came around after he entered Thursday's contest as a defensive replacement, but the fact that Roberts felt comfortable inserting him into the game bodes well for his prospects of returning to the startling lineup Friday against the Braves.

Pederson clubbed a pair of home runs in Thursday's win over the Pirates. He finished the day 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.

Pederson's recent surge has resulted in five home runs since Friday. His streakiness is well documented, but when Pederson is seeing the ball well, he's an excellent source of power from the left side. It's also worth noting that Pederson hit leadoff for the third time in the last eight days, including Thursday, so it seems that manager Dave Roberts is at least open to occasionally hitting Pederson in the top third of the order.

Winker went 3-for-3 with a walk-off, two-run homer against the Rockies on Thursday.

After replacing Adam Duvall, Winker produced a pair of singles before ending things with a two-run shot off Chris Rusin in the bottom of the 13th. It was just his second home run of the season after he knocked seven in 47 games last year, but Winker is starting to find a groove at the plate, notching three multi-hit efforts in the last four games . He's now slashing .263/.368/.357 through 54 games this season.

Belt (appendicitis) will report to the Giants' spring training facility in Arizona to continue his rehab, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt will work out in Florida for about a week before being reevaluated, and barring any setbacks, the first baseman could be cleared to rejoin the Giants in Los Angeles on June 15. The 30-year-old was hitting .307/.403/.547 with 11 homers and 31 RBI prior to undergoing surgery to have his appendix removed at the beginning of June.

Cespedes (hip) is not expected to return from the disabled list over the weekend, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Cespedes has been on the shelf since May 16 with a hip flexor strain. While he was able to run the bases with no issues earlier in the week, the Mets have all but ruled out a return during the Subway Series over the weekend. It was originally thought that Cespedes wouldn't require a rehab assignment, but it now sounds like he could report to a minor-league affiliate over the weekend for a brief rehab stint before rejoining the Mets.

Manager Dave Roberts said that he held Turner out of Thursday's lineup after noticing a lack of power in his swing during Wednesday's game due to his left wrist injury, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Roberts added that it's a "day-to-day thing" with Turner and that he could be back in the starting nine for Friday's series opener against the Braves. But at the moment, Turner's left wrist continues to be an issue and Roberts didn't want to put more pressure on him with a quick night-to-day game turnaround heading into Thursday's tilt. Look for Turner to try and play Friday, but another stint on the disabled list could be looming if it's clear that his swing is still compromised.

Turner is out of the lineup for Thursday's matinee against the Pirates, Andy McCullough of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner will hit the bench for the Dodgers' getaway tilt in Pittsburgh after going 0-for-2 with three walks and two runs during Wednesday's affair. In his place, Max Muncy will man third base.

Winker went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Rockies.

The 24-year-old may be emerging from his slump, reaching base seven times in the last three games and picking up only his second extra-base hit in his last 16 contests. Winker's .250/.359/.327 slash line on the season is an accurate reflection of his fairly limited offensive skill set right now, and he'll need to rediscover the power stroke he teased in his big-league debut last year to become a useful fantasy asset in most formats.