MLB Player News

The Reds are concerned enough about Winker's shoulder soreness that he might need to go on the DL, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports. "I'm concerned about it," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "We want to dig into it and make sure we have a really good handle for what it is. I could see us taking the conservative approach because his long-term health is really important to us."

Initially this was considered a day-to-day injury, but the Reds' concern has heightened. If he doesn't show improvement in the next day or two, the DL trip is likely.

Blackmon went 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks in Wednesday's win over the Astros.

Locked in a 2-2 tie in the home half of the ninth, Blackmon deposited Collin McHugh's 3-1 offering over the wall in center for a walkoff solo home run. He's now riding a nine-game hitting streak and has been red-hot all month; the 32-year-old is hitting .366 with six homers and 12 RBI in 18 games since the start of July.

Belt did not do any structural damage to his knee when he hyperextended it Wednesday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

Belt received good news from initial tests, suggesting that he may end up missing just the initially reported two or three days. He's supposed to receive more tests when the team returns to San Francisco on Thursday, which could potentially change that timeline, but the prognosis looks good for now.

Belt hyperextended his right knee in Wednesday's game against the Mariners, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

The first baseman suffered the injury while beating out an infield single in the seventh inning. He'll be out a minimum of two or three days, though further tests are scheduled which could rule him out for longer. Pablo Sandoval will likely fill in for him at first base with Evan Longoria about to return from his broken hand and reclaim his third base job.

Belt was removed from Wednesday's game with an apparent leg injury after beating out an infield single in the seventh inning, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Belt was seen limping following the play and wound up exiting the game after a trainer looked at his right knee, per TJ Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune. Look for an update on his status in the coming hours once team doctors get an extended look at his leg.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Brewers.

He made Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta pay a steep price for a pair of walks in the fifth inning, hitting his 25th homer to blow the game open for the Nationals. An increase in defensive shifts against Harper has hurt the 25-year-old's batting average in a major way, but he is tied for the NL lead in homers, he ranks first in walks and has already doubled his stolen-base total from a season ago.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and three runs in an extra-inning win over the Rangers on Tuesday. He's 3-for-8 overall in two games since returning from a hamstring injury.

The outfielder sat out Sunday's series finale against the Giants with hamstring tightness, but he's bounced right back with a pair of productive efforts. Canha is on pace for a career-best power display this season, as he's just three home runs short of equaling the 16 he managed in his rookie 2015 campaign over 45 additional games. Moreover, all three components of his current .257/.333/.464 line qualify as career highs.

Buxton (wrist) is expected to take batting practice again Wednesday and could be activated by Thursday for Triple-A Rochester, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton hit the shelf July 14 due to a strained left wrist, but he's on the brink of a return. The 24-year-old outfielder took batting practice Tuesday without issue, so depending on how Wednesday's session goes, he could come off the disabled list as soon as Thursday. After being shipped to the minors, Buxton has struggled to a .232/.303/.377 batting line through 18 games for the Red Wings.

Harper (illness) will man center field and bat third against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Harper was left out of Tuesday's lineup due to a stomach bug, though he was able to enter the game and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout during the extra-inning loss. He will not miss any additional time and should be fully operational for the series finale.

Cespedes will undergo season-ending surgery on both heels, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Assistant general manager John Ricco said the outfielder's recovery time will be 8-to-10 months, though it's a very real possibility that he will require even more time to recover. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay. In addition, it will be completed in two separate procedures 2-to-3 months apart as one foot will be done before the other. Cespedes recently went in for a second opinion on this issue and received consensus feedback that he couldn't avoid surgery. Looking ahead to next year, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see Cespedes remain on the shelf until the All-Star break, further dampening his value as an injury-plagued 32-year-old outfielder.