MLB Player News

Cespedes (quad) left Friday's game against the Nationals with a right quad strain, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports.

Cespedes suffered the injury in the third inning when he slid to catch a Ben Revere fly ball in center field. Cespedes was replaced by Juan Lagares in center in the fourth inning. The severity of the strain is uncertain.

Pederson (shoulder) still has not been cleared to swing a bat, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

There was some initial optimism that Pederson could return from the DL immediately following the All-Star break, but that's looking like far from a sure thing with the 24-year-old still shut down from swinging. Pederson figures to ultimately require at least a couple minor league rehab games to prepare for a return to the major league roster. Andrew Toles was brought up Friday to help out in center field in the meantime.

Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, two RBI and a run in Thursday's 6-0 victory over the Dodgers.

The 26-year-old ended Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu's night with a triple to deep right in the fifth that plated Yangervis Solarte and Derek Norris, giving him five RBI over the last five contests. Dickerson has also hit safely in four of the last five games, a stretch that's included a pair of doubles and Thursday's three-bagger.

Harper went 2-for-5 with a solo homer Thursday at the Mets.

Harper launched his 19th bomb of the year in the fourth inning to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead in a game they'd eventually lose. He's now homered in three of his last six games to bring his slugging percentage to .504 on the season.

Carpenter (oblique) was placed on the 15-day DL on Thursday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter sustained a high oblique strain while taking a swing during Wednesday night's game. While the Cardinals are yet to offer a timetable, Carpenter is expected to miss several weeks, likely beyond the requisite 15 days. Kolten Wong, who is in Thursday's lineup, figures to be the primary beneficiary while Carpenter is out.

Winker (wrist) has started a rehab assignment in the Arizona Rookie League, RedsMinorLeagues.com reports.

Winker might need a decent amount of time before proving he's ready to advance beyond Triple-A Louisville, as he has just two homers and a .367 slugging percentage so far. But the Reds will still likely give him a look at some point this year, especially if Jay Bruce gets dealt as expected by the trade deadline.

Carpenter suffered an oblique strain Wednesday and manager Mike Matheny said there is a "high level of concern," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports.

He suffered the injury while taking a swing in Wednesday's game, and this threatens to significantly interrupt what had been another stellar season from the best position player on the Cardinals. A timetable has not been provided, but it's safe to expect Carpenter to miss the rest of the first half and at least several weeks of the second half. Kolten Wong, who replaced Carpenter on Wednesday, figures to be a significant beneficiary while Carpenter is out.

Carpenter (oblique) left Wednesday's game in the third inning, gripping his side after taking a swing, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter was replaced by Kolten Wong after being examined by a trainer. The 30-year-old has been injury-free up to this point in the season, but he suffered an injury to his right oblique and could be shut down until after the All-Star break even if it's just a minor tweak. The Cardinals will likely issue a report on Carpenter by the end of the day Wednesday or Thursday morning after he undergoes testing Wednesday night.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer Wednesday against the Brewers.

Harper's 18th blast of the year gave the Nationals a 3-0 lead in the first inning of a game they'd eventually go on to win. He's now hit safely in six of his seven July games, and he's slashing .258/.400/.495 on the year.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with two solo homers in a loss to the Mets on Wednesday.

The Marlins' slugger accounted for both of Miami's runs in the 4-2 loss. In the last two days, he's been absolutely on fire, going 5-for-7 with four homers, seven RBI and four runs. Stanton has 19 bombs this season, including seven since missing time at the end of May.