MLB Player News

Cespedes indicated that his quad is nearly healthy but said he would prefer to play left field the rest of the way, James Wagner of the New York Times reports. Manager Terry Collins suggested that will be the case for now.

The Mets are expected to recall Michael Conforto from Triple-A prior to Monday's contest against the Cubs, but he's only played left field in the minors. Conforto could eventually foil Cespedes' plan, but, for now, the alignment will initially remain him in left with Juan Lagares in center field and Curtis Granderson in right. Another possible alignment could include Conforto playing right field and Granderson moving to center, allowing Cespedes to continue starting in left while getting the three best offensive outfielders in the lineup on a daily basis.

Soler (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment this week, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.

Just a few days ago, the status of Soler was uncertain. Since then, the outfielder has done some running on the field, and appears close to embarking upon a rehab assignment. How long that assignment might be, or when he could return to the Cubs, remains to be seen.

Cespedes (quad) is back in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Cespedes has missed four straight games dating back to before the All-Star break, but his pregame workouts Sunday proved encouraging enough for manager Terry Collins to give him the starting nod. With Juan Lagares back and available to play center field, Cespedes could see more time in left moving forward, as that's where he'll draw the start Sunday.

Ozuna is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cardinals.

No specific reason has been given for Ozuna's absence, so this appears to be just a regular maintenance day for the 25-year-old. He'll sit in favor of Ichiro Suzuki in center field, but carry a .886 OPS into Monday's series opener against the Phillies.

Cespedes (quad) will be in the initial starting lineup Sunday, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

Don't lock Cespedes in just yet, however, as manager Terry Collins will likely keep a close eye on the outfielder's pregame routine. If anything appears off, look for Collins to take a precautionary approach and scratch him from the lineup. Cespedes suffered a strained quad leading up to the All-Star break, and hasn't started a game since then, allowing Juan Lagares to pick up a few extra starts. Despite the recent absence, all signs appear to be pointing at a return in the short term for Cespedes. Even if he's unable to go Sunday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports that Collins does not anticipate the ailment forcing a stint on the DL.

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.