MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-4 in a win over the Padres on Thursday.

Ozuna continues to make serviceable offensive contributions, but he's unquestionably underperforming in terms of overall impact as compared to prior seasons. The slugger has only seven extra-base hits (five doubles, two home runs) over his first 145 plate appearances, while his slugging percentage is currently a career-low .333 thanks to a jaw-droppingly anemic .079 ISO, easily a career-worst figure as well. Contact issues appear to be playing a part in his struggles, as Ozuna's .330 BABIP and career-high 47.1 percent hard contact rate are offset by a rise of more than four points in his strikeout rate to 25.5 percent. Moreover, he's also pulling the ball at the highest rate (44.1 percent) since his rookie 2013 campaign in Miami.

Turner (wrist) is expected to be sent on a rehab assignment over the weekend, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The Dodgers are getting close to having two established veterans back with the club as Turner and Logan Forsythe (shoulder) are ready for rehab assignments. Turner has been sidelined since spring training due to a broken wrist, so his return should bring a spark to the Dodgers' lineup. Given the length of his absence, Turner will likely need multiple rehab games before being activated. Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer will continue to split time at third base in the meantime.

Cespedes sat out of Wednesday's game due to a sore right quad, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The slugging outfielder missed time earlier in the week due to the same kind of injury, so it seems like things haven't completely healed on that front. With Thursday's off-day, Cespedes hopes to only miss one game of action, though he should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday's matchup with the Phillies. Brandon Nimmo should see an increased role if Cespedes is unable to play Friday.

McCutchen is not in the lineup against the Phillies on Thursday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

McCutchen has gone 8-for-20 (.400 average) with one RBI over the past six games and will head to the bench for Thursday's matinee series finale in Philadelphia. Gregor Blanco will start in right field while Brandon Belt draws a start in left. Expect McCutchen back in the lineup Friday for his return to Pittsburgh.

Turner (wrist) is hoping to return from the disabled list during next week's series against the Nationals, which begins Friday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner was originally hoping to return during next week's series against the Marlins, which begins Tuesday, but he told David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports that he still needs to check off a couple of boxes before being activated, so the following series against the Nationals now seems to be a more likely return date. He took swings during a simulated game Wednesday and plans to do the same Thursday. In the meantime, Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer will continue to platoon at third base.

Harper is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Harper is hitless over his last 19 at-bats, so he'll head to the bench for his first breather of the season while Moises Sierra picks up a start in right field. Despite the slump, the 25-year-old is still hitting .230/.410/.541 with 12 homers and four stolen bases through 37 games this season. Look for him to rejoin the starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against the Diamondbacks.

Cespedes is out of the lineup against the Reds on Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Cespedes will retreat to the bench following two straight starts to open this series after suffering a minor right quadriceps injury during Sunday's game versus Colorado. This seems to be a standard day off in order to keep the outfielder fresh moving forward. In his place, Michael Conforto will start in left field and Brandon Nimmo will start in center.

Turner (wrist) is targeting a return during next week's series against the Marlins, which begins Tuesday, Pedro Moura of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Turner will take reps at the dish in a simulated game Wednesday. It seems likely that he'll head out on a brief rehab assignment before coming off the disabled list. Until Turner is back to full health, look for Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer to share time at third base.

Cespedes (quad) is in the lineup Monday against the Reds, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Cespedes left Sunday's game against the Rockies with a quad issue, which he had apparently suffered the day before. The issue was evidently minor, though, as he won't end up missing a game. It's the second time in eight days that he left with an injury only to start in the team's next game after leaving with what turned out to be a minor thumb issue the previous Sunday. He's doing little to shed the injury-prone label, though he's started in all but one game for the Mets so far this season.

Reyes has eight homers in his last five games for Triple-A El Paso.

Reyes went unprotected in the Rule 5 draft but was not selected, primarily due to the broken hamate bone he suffered at the Arizona Fall League. He's making teams regret passing on him so far this season, hitting .339/.419/.750 with 13 homers. Like many young slugging prospects, Reyes definitely has power but there are concerns about whether or not he'll hit enough to get to that power. He's certainly done all he can to address those concerns so far this season. Perhaps the bigger issue at this point is how he fits with the big club defensively, as he is a mediocre defender in an outfield corner, and the Padres already have one of those in Wil Myers, although he is on the DL with an oblique injury.