MLB Player News

Cespedes (heel) went 2-for-2 with an RBI double in Tuesday's 14-3 loss to the Cubs.

With this game's outcome not in question after the early innings, the Mets wisely pulled Cespedes after five innings for extra rest, but he avoided aggravating the heel injury that got him removed from Monday's game. When he's been in the lineup, Cespedes has been a wrecking ball this year, piling up 12 extra-base hits in just 74 at-bats.

Vargas went 4-for-6 (all singles) with two RBI and four runs in Tuesday's 20-7 win over Seattle. He's now hitting .271 with a .774 OPS.

Vargas had been 2-for-12 with a home run in his previous four games since being recalled from the minors. He should continue to split the DH role with Robbie Grossman, though he'll likely sit against lefties (.191 OPS against left-handed pitching before Tuesday).

Dickerson suffered another setback in his rehab and is scheduled to meet with a specialist about his injured back, Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Dickerson has been rehabbing his injured back all season, but suffered a setback in early June and was ultimately shut down. The 27-year-old recently resumed his rehab program but unfortunately suffered another setback Tuesday. His outlook for the remainder of the 2017 campaign appears to be bleak, as manager Andy Green went so far as to say that he feels it's "increasingly unlikely" that Dickerson will return this season, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. The outfielder could elect for surgery which would likely sideline him for an extensive amount of time.

Goins will man the strong side of a platoon alongside Darwin Barney while Devon Travis (knee) is sidelined, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Travis is expected to be out a while, so Goins seems to be in line for plenty of playing time. That being said, he's hitting just .210 on the season, so even with the expanded playing time, there's not much here to get excited about.

Buxton is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mariners, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Buxton continues to scuffle at the plate, averaging a strikeout per game in the past 30 contests. He'll hit the bench for a night off, forcing the Twins to deploy an outfield of Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Robbie Grossman.

Cespedes (heel) is batting third and playing left field in Tuesday's game against the Cubs, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

As expected, Cespedes is back in action after leaving Monday's series opener with a heel issue. The Mets were likely exercising caution with their slugger given the amount of time he has already missed this season. He'll look to add to his seven homers and 14 RBI as he faces southpaw Jon Lester on Tuesday.

Pederson was activated from the disabled list ahead of Tuesday's contest against the Indians.

Pederson is back with the big club after getting a few rehab games in with Oklahoma City. The 25-year-old collected a hit in each of his three appearances with Triple-A, knocking two homers and collecting four RBI in nine at-bats. He should immediately resume his role as the Dodgers' everyday center fielder. Adrian Gonzalez (back) was sent to the DL in a corresponding roster move.

Stanton is playing right field and batting second in Tuesday's game against the Athletics, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

As expected, Stanton is good to go for Tuesday's series opener against the A's after missing a couple games with a wrist injury. The 27-year-old slugger, who is slashing .286/.366/.564 with 16 homers and 42 RBI this season, will face youngster Jharel Cotton in his return to the lineup.

Harper went 1-for-4 with two walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Monday's loss to the Braves.

It was his first homer since May 26 and 16th of the season. Harper cooled down somewhat in the second half of May and hasn't yet fully rebounded, but his .273/.390/.455 slash line so far in June would still be impressive for almost any other player. Expect the 24-year-old to go on another home run binge at any time.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run during Monday's win over Colorado.

McCutchen has gone 24-for-61 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 15 runs and a 1.119 OPS in 17 games since being bumped down the lineup. He's now hit sixth in each of the past 16 outings, and the demotion has been beneficial for the veteran. He's proven capable of posting huge numbers over prolonged hot stretches in the past, and he's already increased his batting average 51 points during this 17-game stretch.