MLB Player News

Turner went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Sunday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

Hitless heading into the eighth inning, Turner smacked a two-run homer and followed that with a two-run double in the ninth, nearly bringing the Dodgers back from a six-run deficit. He has seemingly discovered his power stroke of late, as he has homered four times in his last eight games and has nine RBI during that span as well.

Cespedes indicated that his quad is nearly healthy but said he would prefer to play left field the rest of the way, James Wagner of the New York Times reports. Manager Terry Collins suggested that will be the case for now.

The Mets are expected to recall Michael Conforto from Triple-A prior to Monday's contest against the Cubs, but he's only played left field in the minors. Conforto could eventually foil Cespedes' plan, but, for now, the alignment will initially remain him in left with Juan Lagares in center field and Curtis Granderson in right. Another possible alignment could include Conforto playing right field and Granderson moving to center, allowing Cespedes to continue starting in left while getting the three best offensive outfielders in the lineup on a daily basis.

Soler (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment this week, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.

Just a few days ago, the status of Soler was uncertain. Since then, the outfielder has done some running on the field, and appears close to embarking upon a rehab assignment. How long that assignment might be, or when he could return to the Cubs, remains to be seen.

Reed is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners.

The Mariners are starting a left-handed pitcher for the second time this series, so Reed will accordingly find himself on the bench. Reed hasn't exactly dominated right-handed pitching since his promotion (6-for-30 with two homers), so until he finds more success, he'll be limited to platoon duties at first base or DH.

Cespedes (quad) is back in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Cespedes has missed four straight games dating back to before the All-Star break, but his pregame workouts Sunday proved encouraging enough for manager Terry Collins to give him the starting nod. With Juan Lagares back and available to play center field, Cespedes could see more time in left moving forward, as that's where he'll draw the start Sunday.

Buxton is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians.

Buxton recently returned from a knee injury suffered prior to the All-Star break, and with Saturday's game going 11 innings, it looks like manager Paul Molitor just wanted to give the 22-year-old a breather. Danny Santana will cover center field in Buxton's stead.

Ozuna is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cardinals.

No specific reason has been given for Ozuna's absence, so this appears to be just a regular maintenance day for the 25-year-old. He'll sit in favor of Ichiro Suzuki in center field, but carry a .886 OPS into Monday's series opener against the Phillies.

Cespedes (quad) will be in the initial starting lineup Sunday, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

Don't lock Cespedes in just yet, however, as manager Terry Collins will likely keep a close eye on the outfielder's pregame routine. If anything appears off, look for Collins to take a precautionary approach and scratch him from the lineup. Cespedes suffered a strained quad leading up to the All-Star break, and hasn't started a game since then, allowing Juan Lagares to pick up a few extra starts. Despite the recent absence, all signs appear to be pointing at a return in the short term for Cespedes. Even if he's unable to go Sunday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports that Collins does not anticipate the ailment forcing a stint on the DL.

Vargas started at DH and went 2-for-5 with a double in Saturday's win over Cleveland.

Vargas continues to stay in the lineup while he's hot. He's hitting .400 (10-for-25) with nine of his 10 hits being extra-base hits.

Cespedes (quad) is not in the lineup Saturday against the Phillies, James Wagner of the New York Times reports.

Cespedes strained his right quad a couple of days before the All-Star break, and he'll now miss a second straight game following the festivities. The slugger took batting practice Friday, however, and was close to returning Saturday, so a DL stint does not seem likely at this point. In place of Cespedes, Juan Lagares will make another start in center field and hit eighth Saturday.