MLB Player News

Winker (quadriceps) is back in the lineup Friday against the Giants after missing two straight games.

Winker had been dealing with a quad strain, but the issue was considered to be minor, and he's back in action quickly as expected. The 25-year-old hasn't performed according to expectations this season, though not entirely in a bad way. He's seen his batting average drop from .299 to .237 but already has a career-high nine homers.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for Friday's game at Boston, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Vogelbach will once again head to the bench against a left-hander as Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound for the Red Sox. Edwin Encarnacion will serve as the designated hitter while Jay Bruce receives the start at first base Friday.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, two walks and three runs in a win over the Pirates on Thursday.

Carpenter helped set the table from his leadoff spot in an offensive extravaganza for the Cardinals. The veteran infielder is hitting a modest .250 across the first nine games of May, but that still represents a notable uptick for him. Carpenter's average sat at .190 after he started the month with an 0-for-12 tally over the first three contests, but he's bounced back by going 8-for-24 with a home run, four RBI, four walks and five runs over the subsequent six outings.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a three-run double, an RBI fielder's choice, two walks and two runs in a win over the Pirates on Thursday.

On a night of prolific offensive efforts, Ozuna's four RBI paced the Cardinals. The slugging outfielder's .244 average has plenty of room for improvement, but he's been a run-producing machine all season. After racking up an impressive 28 RBI in April, Ozuna now has six thus far in May after snapping out of a brief 0-for-11 slump with Thursday's effort.

Pederson is not in the lineup Thursday against the Nationals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

As per usual, Pederson will retreat to the bench for Thursday's series opener with southpaw Patrick Corbin starting for the opposition. Chris Taylor is starting in left field and hitting seventh in this one.

Jimenez (ankle) will join the White Sox in Toronto this weekend to continue his rehab program, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Rather than reporting to a minor-league affiliate for a rehab assignment, Jimenez will continue to work out on the field prior to the White Sox's games against the Blue Jays from Friday through Sunday. Once the White Sox return to Chicago on Monday, the team plans to map out a rehab schedule for the outfielder, who is bouncing back from a high right ankle sprain. The White Sox have been pleased with the progress Jimenez has made up to this point, though the rookie has yet to test out his ankle by running the bases.

Brantley is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brantley will head to the bench for what appears to be a regular day off against left-hander Mike Minor following a string of six straight starts. The veteran outfielder has been on a tear over his last 15 games, slashing .387/.415/.758 with six homers and 13 RBI over that stretch. In his absence, Josh Reddick and George Springer are starting in the corner outfield spots, with Jake Marisnick getting the nod in center.

Canha (wrist) will begin a minor-league rehab stint with Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Canha took batting practice with no issues Wednesday and Thursday, clearing the way for his return to game action. The veteran outfielder will likely play in a handful of rehab games before hopefully rejoining the Athletics on their upcoming nine-game road trip, which begins Monday in Seattle.

Winker is dealing with a left quadriceps injury but is expected to return to the lineup Friday against the Giants, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

This explains why Winker is out of the lineup Thursday against right-hander Chris Bassitt. He sat out Monday and Wednesday as well, but those absences didn't really raise suspicions as the Reds faced lefties in those two games; Winker has made just three starts against left-handed pitching this season. The Reds seem confident that Winker won't need a stint on the injured list.

Belt is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

The Giants will keep three lefty bats (Belt, Joe Panik and Stephen Vogt) on the bench for the series finale with southpaw Kyle Freeland on the bump for the Rockies. Belt actually owns a respectable career 113 wRC+ versus southpaws, but he's been below 100 in every season since 2017. Tyler Austin will take his spot at first base and bat second.