MLB Player News

Blackmon went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run Tuesday against the Cubs.

Blackmon hit his 10th home run of the season to remain among the league leaders in the category. After hitting 24 of his 37 home runs at home last season, this was already his ninth on the road through just 64 at-bats. His production may not slow as the Rockies have played just 12 of their 31 games at home to this point.

Harper went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, two runs and a walk Tuesday against the Pirates.

Harper, who assumed leadoff duties Tuesday, had been in a bit of a power drought recently, with his last extra-base hit coming over two weeks ago on April 16. He's also seen his batting average plummet 65 points during that cold stretch to a pedestrian .250 mark. Despite his relative lack of hits, the star slugger still owns a truly elite .459 on-base percentage as one of the most feared hitters in the majors.

Turner (wrist) won't begin a rehab assignment over the coming weekend, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner's condition has steadily improved, as he recently reached the point that he was hitting off a tee. The Dodgers will be cautious with Turner and hold off on sending him on a rehab assignment until they're certain that he's ready. While it's not out of the question for Turner to return around the middle of May, he'll need to play in a few minor-league games before joining the big club.

Winker is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

Winker's absence from the lineup is baffling, as the Reds are facing a right-hander in Chase Anderson and Winker is batting .305 with a team-best .414 on-base percentage this season (yes, even better than Joey Votto's mark). Unfortunately, it seems interim manager Jim Riggleman will continue with this outfield rotation for the time being instead of seeing what Winker can do with everyday playing time.

Cespedes is in the lineup Tuesday against the Braves, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cespedes won't end up missing a single start with the thumb injury he suffered Sunday against the Padres. He'll bat third and play left field. The veteran slugger has seen his strikeout rate double this year, jumping from 19 percent last season to 38.1 percent. The strikeouts have killed his batting average, which sits at just .233 after being .280 or above in each of the last three seasons.

Harper has been bumped up to the leadoff spot Tuesday against the Pirates.

It's the first time Harper has hit anywhere other than third this season and the first time he's led off since 2013. Harper is certainly an unconventional leadoff hitter given his immense power, but his .458 on-base percentage is excellent for a table-setter. If Harper starts leading off on a regular basis, he'd trade RBI for runs, a largely neutral move for fantasy purposes, though his total number of plate appearances would increase, giving him more chances to hit home runs.

Cespedes (thumb) is on track to play Tuesday against the Braves, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Cespedes' thumb injury wasn't considered particularly serious, but he was expected to miss at least a few games. He may not end up missing a single one, though, as the issue appears to be even less serious than the Mets originally thought. His thumb became sore Saturday after he slid into third base and was removed from the game, but the Mets' off day Monday may end up being the only rest he needed.

Turner (wrist) hit off a tee Monday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner has continued making progress recovering from the broken wrist that he suffered during spring training. The team indicated that if he continues improving as he has been, it's not out of question for him to return by mid-May, although a more definitive timeframe should come into focus when Turner begins a rehab assignment.

Pederson came off the bench and went 1-for-1 with an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Giants.

Pederson entered the contest once the left-handed Ty Blach was removed from the game. Yasiel Puig (ankle) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday, so Pederson could see an increase in playing time against right-handed starters. Alex Verdugo was called up this weekend, which could provide a roadblock to regular starts for the slugging outfielder. Monday's starting lineup should shed light on which of the two left-handed bats will receive the short boost in value, with the Diamondbacks slated to start three righties in the first three games of their upcoming four-game set with the Dodgers.

Belt went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's win over the Dodgers.

Belt has been swinging a hot bat all year, and he's now reached base safely in 12 straight. The lefty sports a terrific 1.011 OPS to go along with a .313 average, and his six homers already have him well on his way to topping last year's career-best 18.