MLB Player News

Cespedes (hamstring) is in the lineup Wednesday against the Nationals, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

The veteran outfielder had been dealing with a hamstring cramp, although he'll be able to resume his normal role in the lineup as expected. However, the game has been delayed due to inclement weather, so if the rain refuses to let up, he may get an extra day to rest the ailment despite his name being on Wednesday's lineup card. If the game is played, he'll bat third and play left field.

Torrens was a late addition to the lineup Wednesday against the Indians, Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Austin Hedges was scratched due to neck stiffness, so Torrens will be thrown into emergency catching duty to replace him. Torrens will bat ninth as the Padres take on Cleveland right-hander Trevor Bauer.

Harper is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mets, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

The young superstar hasn't gotten a day off for over a month, so he'll head to the bench for Wednesday's series finale. Brian Goodwin will slide over to right field to replace him, while Adam Lind fills the void in left field.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a walk in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Marlins.

The slugging leadoff man has started July off in fine fashion at the plate by hitting in three straight. Carpenter is in the midst of a modest long-ball drought, however, as his last home run came June 24. The 31-year-old's current .235 average is also notably lower than any he's ever posted in the last five seasons, but a .255 BABIP and career-best 46 percent hard contact rate hint at an eventual breakout.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers Tuesday against Philadelphia.

After being named the National League Player of the Month for June, McCutchen is off to a great start in July, going 5-for-12 with four extra-base hits. He's slashing .395/.497/.689 with eight homers and 23 RBI since May 26. While the outfielder has swiped only one of his six bags in the last 41 games, owners have no doubt enjoyed his monster turnaround. It's still a toss-up as to whether McCutchen will get dealt at the deadline, but he's definitely upped his trade value.

Pederson is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Pederson will head to the bench as the opposition sends out a southpaw starter (Patrick Corbin). Enrique Hernandez will draw the start in his place in center field.

Cespedes (hamstring) is expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Nationals, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Cespedes' injury was never deemed serious, and while he didn't appear in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals, he was apparently available as a pinch hitter if needed. He'll likely test his hamstring out prior to Wednesday's contest before making a decision on whether to play, but the Mets seem confident their star slugger will be back for the series finale.

Harper went 3-for-4 with a walk, a pair of RBI and three runs against the Mets on Tuesday.

The Nats, playing at home in the nation's capital, provided an Independence Day beatdown to the Mets in this one, and Harper was right in the middle of it, as usual. After a down year in 2016, he's gotten right back to looking like his megastar self from the 2015 campaign.

Carpenter will bat leadoff and start at second base Tuesday against the Marlins.

Just as Mike Matheny did Monday, he will use Carpenter at the keystone to make room for Luke Voit at first base. It's only start No. 2 for Carpenter at second base on the year, but if Matheny wants to continue getting Voit regular playing time, Carpenter could see just enough reps there to retain eligibility heading into 2018. The eventual return of Kolten Wong (triceps) could complicate things, but Carpenter has plenty of time left to hit the five-game minimum required by many leagues, and could realistically hit 10 if Voit stays hot.

Cespedes (hamstring) won't be included in the Mets' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals, but will be available off the bench for a pinch-hit appearance, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cespedes suffered a hamstring cramp during the final play of the Nationals' walk-off win Monday, and while the issue isn't considered serious, the quick turnaround for the Fourth of July contest, which starts at 11:05 a.m. EST, likely influenced manager Terry Collins' decision to hold the star outfielder out of the lineup. The fact that the Mets expect Cespedes to be available in a pinch-hitting capacity suggests that he could be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday, though with an off day looming Thursday, the weekend series in St. Louis may be a more likely target for him to return to the outfield. Curtis Granderson (hip), who hit a pinch-hit home run Monday, could replace Cespedes in the starting nine Tuesday if Granderson checks out fine ahead of the contest.