MLB Player News

Cespedes (quad) is not in the lineup Saturday against the Phillies, James Wagner of the New York Times reports.

Cespedes strained his right quad a couple of days before the All-Star break, and he'll now miss a second straight game following the festivities. The slugger took batting practice Friday, however, and was close to returning Saturday, so a DL stint does not seem likely at this point. In place of Cespedes, Juan Lagares will make another start in center field and hit eighth Saturday.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run, and an RBI against the Cardinals on Friday.

Stanton had a strong finish to an otherwise forgettable first half, carrying a seven-game hitting streak into the break and then mashing his way to a Home Run Derby crown. He picked up right where he left off before All-Star festivities as he continues to push his .238/.335/.500 slash line back to respectability. The lumbering outfielder has slugged five home runs over what is now an eight-game hitting streak and is up to 41 runs scored and 51 RBI on the year.

Ozuna went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's win over the Cardinals.

The All-Star outfielder opened the second half just how he spent the majority of the first half: scorching hot. The multi-hit effort pushed his slash line to .308/.360/.534. He's been the Marlins' most consistent run producer, accumulating 54 runs and driving home 49 during this breakout campaign. Ozuna's .894 OPS is currently 120 points higher than his previous career high and with 17 long balls on the year, he's just six home runs away from tying his career best of 23 set in 2014.

Pederson (shoulder) went 1-for-2 with two walks in a rehab game with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.

Pederson saw the ball well Friday in his first game action since June 28. He is expected to play at least another game or two in the minors before potentially returning to the Dodgers on Tuesday.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 and stole his third base of the season Friday in Washington.

The center fielder's stolen base was just his third in eight attempts and his head-first slide shows he might be getting a bit more aggressive on the bases. McCutchen holds a modest four-game hitting streak (7-for-16) with three extra-base hits as he tries to rebound from a miserable first half.

Cespedes (quadriceps) is out of Friday's lineup against the Phillies.

He took batting practice Friday in Philadelphia, but is still not ready to return to action after suffering a right quadriceps strain a week ago. Juan Lagares will start in center field and hit eighth Friday.

Winker (wrist) went 0-for-4 in his first game back with Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

After four games with the team's rookie-level affiliate, Winker was thrust back up atop the minor league ladder. Winker, who missed a month due to a wrist injury, has managed just two home runs in 56 games with Louisville this season and hasn't even attempted a stolen base, but he has more walks (33) than strikeouts (32) and that plate discipline could earn him a September promotion.

Soler (hamstring) is unsure when he will be ready to return to action, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago.

Soler said he was feeling "good" when asked Friday, but he did not provide a hint as to when he will be ready to rejoin the Cubs. The team figures to continue using several players in left field while Soler remains sidelined.

Pederson (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City and could return to the Dodgers by Tuesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson was not cleared to swing a bat as of one week ago, but he has progressed over the last few days and is ready to set out on a rehab assignment. According to Gurnick, it could be a quick tuneup of a rehab assignment with Tuesday being the targeted return date. Once Pederson returns, he'll add a powerful left-handed bat to a lineup that was middling through the first half of the season.

Jimenez was 2-3 with a home run and four RBI during the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday.

Sunday marked a great ending to a fantastic first half for Jimenez, who slashed .332/.372/.527 with Single-A South Bend. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Cubs challenge the 19-year-old by sending him to High-A or even Double-A before the season's end. Jimenez has grown as a player in nearly every category in each of his first three seasons in the minors, and it looks like he's only scratching the surface of his potential as an impact player at the big league level.