MLB Player News

Goins is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

He was optioned down less than a week ago but Goins will be allowed to return with Darwin Barney leaving the team to attend to a personal matter. Goins' glove continues to be his saving grace as he's a major net-negative with the bat. He's batting just .186/.231/.314 in 184 plate appearances with the big club this season.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rockies.

Pederson is 4-for-47 (.085) and owns just a .370 OPS against lefties this season, so it comes as no surprise that he will get a day off with a left-hander on the mound for the opponent Tuesday. Andrew Toles will man center field in Pederson's place.

Soler homered and knocked in two runs in a 3-for-4 game in Monday's extra-innings win over the Pirates.

Soler was just 3-for-23 over an eight-game home run drought dating back to August 18. That kind of inconsistency combined with the Cubs' ridiculous outfield depth means Soler is unlikely to play an everyday role down the stretch. Still, Soler has reached 10 home runs despite taking just 214 plate appearances -- he needed 404 plate appearances to hit 10 home runs last season.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and an RBI in Monday's win over the Dodgers.

Blackmon is having a fantastic August, with 18 of his 38 hits this month having gone for extra bases. Colorado's leadoff man is especially dangerous at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, which means he should be able to pad his stats further during the rest of this nine-game homestand after playing six straight on the road.

Cespedes went 3-for-5 with a walk-off home run in Monday's win against the Marlins.

Since being activated from the disabled list August 19, Cespedes has five home runs and nine RBI in nine games. Cespedes now has 27 home runs and 68 RBI for the season. After a miraculous stretch run a season ago, Cespedes could be primed for a repeat performance as the Mets try to secure a Wild Card spot.

Turner is out of the lineup Monday against the Rockies, Andy McCullough of the LA Times reports.

Turner will have the night off as Rob Segedin gets the nod to start at the hot corner. Turner has had a tough time at the plate lately and has gone just 1-for-17 (.059) over his last four games.

Reed is not in Monday's lineup against the A's.

Reed will head to the bench for the third time in the last four games, as he's mired in an 0-for-12 slump over his last four appearances, including a three strikeout showing Sunday. Marwin Gonzalez will get the start at first base in his place Monday and bat seventh.

Cespedes (quad) is back in the lineup Monday against the Marlins, Steve Gelbs of SNY TV reports.

Tightness in his quad kept Cespedes out of Sunday's lineup, but the issue is not considered serious, and the slugger will return to action Monday. Since returning from the DL on August 19, Cespedes is 11-for-31 (.355) at the plate with two doubles, four home runs and eight RBI.

Belt (neck) returned to the lineup Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a walk, a triple, an RBI and a pair of runs scored in a win over Atlanta.

Belt was scratched from Saturday's lineup with a stiff neck. His presence in Sunday's lineup and production at the plate indicates that the injury wasn't anything to worry about. Belt isn't your traditional slugging first baseman, but his 66 RBI and .390 OBP have provided good value as a first baseman in deeper leagues and a corner infielder in standard formats.

Carpenter went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a solo homer and three runs Sunday against the Athletics.

Carpenter has struggled to produce runs for the Cardinals lately, as he's only posted three RBI since August 9. Despite the recent struggles, his 17th homer of the year raised his slugging percentage to .540, which is easily the best number of his six-year career.