MLB Player News

Harper is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rockies, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

It appears manager Dusty Baker is looking to keep Harper properly rested as he continues to build on his scalding start to the season. The superstar outfielder will almost certainly be back in the lineup when the Nats face off against Colorado again on Tuesday.

Cespedes (hamstring) told manager Terry Collins that he will be ready to play Tuesday, Matt Ehalt of the Bergen Record reports.

Of course, the training staff could overrule Cespedes, but the 31-year-old seems confident he will get the green light to play in Tuesday's series opener against Atlanta. Cespedes sat out Sunday for a third consecutive game, but he was in the on-deck circle ready to pinch hit when Jose Reyes made the final out. The Mets were swept in the weekend series against the Nats, scoring a total of seven runs in three games without Cespedes in the lineup.

Pederson was removed from Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks due to right groin tightness, reports, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Pederson grounded in the top of the inning and then was replaced in the field by Enrique Hernandez half an inning later, which the team said was merely precautionary. Although hamstring injuries can be tricky, there is a decent chance he will be able to avoid a trip to the disabled list, assuming it's nothing worse than the team is letting on.

Cespedes (hamstring) is out of Sunday's lineup against the Nationals.

As expected, Cespedes will remain out Sunday. In his place, Michael Conforto will start in left field. The Mets have Monday off, so consider Cespedes day-to-day heading into Tuesday's matchup against the Braves.

McCutchen went 1-for-2 with a home run, a stolen base, two walks and two RBI in Saturday's loss to the Yankees.

McCutchen got the Pirates on the board with his first-inning homer. He's hitting just .262 this month, and so far he's looking like the same hitter he was during his disappointing 2016 campaign. Until he shows signs of a breakout, he'll be difficult to count on as a top-line fantasy starter.

Cespedes (hamstring) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Nationals, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

If Cespedes sits out Sunday, it will mark the third consecutive day that he's been absent from the lineup. Although the club had said that Cespedes would sit out two or three games to rest his hamstring, owners will want to continue monitoring his status. Until Cespedes returns, Juan Lagares and Michael Conforto will likely split time in left field.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a walk and his fourth home run of the season in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Rockies.

The veteran first baseman extended his hitting streak to six games with the effort. He's batting just .238 through the first few weeks of the season, but his .351 on-base percentage is right where owners would expect it to be. Belt's ability to get on base coupled with his new spot batting second in the order has led to an early influx of runs (10) to complement his modest power.

Carpenter is one of the players manager Mike Matheny is considering for occasional starts at third base in the wake of Jhonny Peralta (upper respiratory illness) heading to the disabled list, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. "We're not ruling that out as an option," said Matheny.

The former third baseman has been taking grounders at third in the last few days in anticipation, although he continues to draw starts at first base. Occasional deployment of Carpenter at the hot corner would presumably shift Jedd Gyorko to first or give fellow left-handed bat Matt Adams a chance for extra playing time.

Cespedes (hamstring) is not in the lineup Saturday against the Nationals.

This doesn't come as a major surprise. Manager Terry Collins has said that Cespedes would likely be taking a few days off as a precaution, so he may not return until after the Mets' off day Monday. Juan Lagares and Michael Conforto will continue receiving the bulk of outfield playing time in his absence.

Jimenez (shoulder) has progressed to playing outfield during extended spring training games, Phil Rogers of MLB.com reports.

It's great news from a recovery standpoint for Jimenez, who until this point had been limited to a designated hitter role. The 20-year-old has been slowly working his way back from a bone bruise in his right shoulder that he suffered during spring training, but it appears activity is ramping up for the youngster. Jimenez will likely report to High-A Myrtle Beach after slashing .329/.369/.532 with Low-A South Bend last year.