MLB Player News

Lewis, 22, is hitting .264/.331/.426 with six home runs, 23 RBI and two steals in just 33 games at High-A this season.

Lewis missed extended time due to a nagging right knee issue stemming from surgery performed last July, thus limiting his on-field production in 2017. His upside remains extremely high, but Lewis will have to prove he is healthy heading into the 2018 campaign.

Buxton (hand) revealed that he's dealing with a left hamate bone injury, and will receive the results from his MRI prior to Minnesota's matinee against the White Sox on Thursday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

If Buxton is indeed shelved with a fractured hamate bone, he could wind up missing the rest of the season, or at least close to it. The center fielder felt a "sharp pain" during a swing in his first at-bat Wednesday, and recorded a "painful hit" during his last plate appearance, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. There will be a better sense of a timetable once Buxton receives the official test results, but it doesn't look too good at this point.

Reds manager Bryan Price said Wednesday that Winker (hip) is "still a ways" from resuming baseball activities, Andy Call of MLB.com reports.

Price's comments all but ensure that Winker won't be activated from the 10-day disabled list when rosters expand Friday, and if his recovery from the hip flexor continues to proceed slowly, the young outfielder may not be cleared to play again this season. Though the 24-year-old has only had 87 plate appearances with the big club this season, he's impressed in limited action with a .297/.402/.500 line. Winker should have the opportunity to compete for a full-time role with the Reds in 2018 during spring training.

Buxton (hand) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Buxton left Wednesday's game after injuring his hand during a swing, and will get the series finale off to recover. There hasn't been much word on his condition, but he should still be considered day-to-day for the time being. In his place, Zack Granite draws the start in center.

Manager Paul Molitor said Buxton exited Wednesday's game against the White Sox after injuring himself during a swing, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The details of the injury remain a little murky, but it appears he may be dealing with a hand issue after his left hand slipped off the bat during a swing Wednesday night. He's set to be reevaluated Thursday, after which there should be a clearer idea regarding his status for the series finale. Zack Granite replaced Buxton on Wednesday and would likely continue to spell him if the center fielder is forced to miss additional time.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Tigers.

His sixth-inning blast was the only run allowed by Justin Verlander. Blackmon now has 32 homers on the year, establishing a new career high to go along with personal bests in RBI (84), runs (120), triples (14) and walks (51) -- and it's not even the end of August yet.

Reed hit his 31st and 32 home runs of the season Tuesday for Triple-A Fresno, tying him for the minor-league lead across all levels.

Reed has clearly mastered the Pacific Coast League and looks bound to receive a promotion to the Astros on Friday when rosters expand or soon after, but he likely won't be in store for much more than the occasional spot start or pinch-hitting opportunity during September. While he has significant upside as a power hitter, Reed has yet to tap into it at the major-league level, with his swing-and-miss tendencies proving to be a major obstacle. He's struck out in 33.3 percent of his 147 career plate appearances with the Astros.

Harper (knee) is still "a long ways from running" according to manager Dusty Baker, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Although the outfielder has been able to resume his exercises in recent days, he revealed that he's dealing with a calf strain that occurred on the same play that he suffered the hyperextended left knee, which suggests there's still a lengthy journey ahead. Harper hasn't been able to do any drills on the field at this point, and with no clear return date set, Baker will give Jayson Werth some time in right field while Harper remains out.

Cabrera (back) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

As expected, Cabrera will sit out the series finale as John Hicks steps in at first base. It doesn't sound like Cabrera is in danger of missing a prolonged stretch, but manager Brad Ausmus told the Detroit News that he thinks Cabrera will have to deal with the chronic back pain for the rest of his career, so occasional maintenance days over the final month seem likely.

Stanton went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals.

He was already one of only six players in history to hit 50 or more home runs before September, joining Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Maris and Luis Gonzalez in a very exclusive club, but Stanton's first-inning solo shot was also his 18th of the month -- tying Rudy York's 80-year-old MLB record for August, with two games left on the calendar. It's also worth noting that of the five other players in the "50 before September" club, only Gonzalez failed to finish the season with at least 60 homers.