MLB Player News

Buxton went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Rangers.

Perhaps most importantly, he didn't strike out. Buxton's now 4-for-11 over his last four games with a 3:4 BB:K, but he'll need to keep working on his contact skills and plate discipline to significantly improve his dreadful .379 OPS.

Vargas went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Rangers.

The homer was his first in three games since being recalled from Triple-A. Vargas has another 10 days or so to prove he belongs in the majors until the Twins need to make a roster move to add a fifth starter, but so far the 26-year-old is doing exactly that, slashing .333/.455/.667.

Belt is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt will take a seat as the Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw to the mound, given he is just 3-for-51 (.059) over his career against the southpaw. Buster Posey will take over at first base for the game while Nick Hundley serves as the backstop. Belt is batting .247 with four homers and nine RBI through 19 games (73 at-bats) this season.

Cabrera (groin) participated in workouts Tuesday, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports.

Cabrera's workout included riding an exercise bike. Manager Brad Ausmus said that Cabrera was feeling better, so it would appear that he could still be on track to return when he's eligible on May 2. Until Cabrera is back in action, Alex Avila and John Hicks will split time at first base.

Carpenter received a one-game suspension for tapping an umpire over the weekend and will serve the suspension Tuesday night, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Fortunately he'll only miss one game, but it's a shame that he received a suspension while he was finally picking things up a bit at the plate. Matt Adams will slot in at first base to fill in for him Tuesday, but look for Carpenter to return to the lineup Wednesday.

Martinez (foot) ran again Monday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The slugger continues to work out without any issues, with this being his second running outing since Friday. If everything checks out in the next day or so, Martinez could head out on a rehab assignment before returning to Detroit.

Cespedes (hamstring) is back in left field and batting third Tuesday against the Braves.

As expected, Cespedes is back in the Mets' lineup after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old slugger will be a welcomed return to the Mets' offense after the team scored just seven runs in the three games Cespedes missed (all losses). He's batting .263 with six homers and 11 RBI in 57 at-bats this year.

Blackmon went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Monday's 8-4 win over the Nationals.

Blackmon's sixth home run of the season helped him extend his hitting streak to nine games. The left-handed stick now has 18 RBI on the season to go along with a .266/.314/.608 slash line and one stolen base. While the overall numbers still look rather pedestrian, Blackmon is heating up and will help fantasy owners in all categories over the remainder of the season.

Pederson (groin) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Pederson was forced to leave Sunday with groin tightness after a groundout. It isn't clear how long he'll be out, but the Dodgers did wait as long as they could Monday before making this move official. Brett Eibner will take his spot on the roster for now, and Enrique Hernandez will get the first shot in center field in Pederson's absence.

Pederson (groin) is out of the lineup Monday against the Giants, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Pederson was forced out of Sunday's contest early after experiencing tightness in his groin. It's unclear whether the injury will require a stint on the DL, but expect Enrique Hernandez to assume the bulk of duties in center field until Pederson is able to return. A clearer update on his status should be available in the coming days.