MLB Player News

Ruf is serving as the Brewers' designated hitter and batting leadoff Tuesday night against the Blue Jays.

Ruf could be in for an uptick in playing time with Jesse Winker landing on the injured list Tuesday due to a cervical strain. The 36-year-old got a turn at leadoff last Friday versus the Giants and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Harper is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets.

This is a planned day of physical and mental rest for Harper, who went hitless (but drew three walks) over the final three games of the Phillies' four-game weekend series at Atlanta. Kyle Schwarber will take a turn out of the DH spot Tuesday in Queens and Dalton Guthrie will cover left field.

Winker was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to May 28, with a cervical strain.

The injury had been described as neck discomfort, but further resting revealed the strain. There is not yet an estimated recovery timetable on Winker, who has scuffled to a brutal .204/.315/.231 batting line in 39 games when healthy this season for the Brewers. Abraham Toro will fill the vacant spot in Milwaukee's active roster.

Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI on Monday against the Angels.

Jimenez took Carlos Estevez deep in the ninth inning to tally his fifth home run of the season and first since returning from the injured list May 28. Albeit in an extremely small sample, he's shown significant power production across two games by tallying two extra-base hits and driving in four. Jimenez has hit second and fourth in those two contests and will continue to occupy a premium spot in the White Sox order.

Lewis (undisclosed illness) went 2-for-5 with a walk, two home runs and four RBI for Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Lewis began a rehab assignment at Reno last week and is 6-for-23 with a double, three home runs and 10 RBI over five games. "He's pushing in the right direction. It's a matter of him building endurance," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. He'll return to Reno's lineup Tuesday after getting Monday off.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Monday's 6-1 victory over the Nationals.

Martinez is now on a 13-game hit streak and has hit safely in 15 of 16 games in May overall. The designated hitter is also well on pace to pass his total of 16 home runs from last season, as he has 11 prior to the end of May.

Stanton (hamstring) will begin his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Stanton has been on the road back from a left hamstring strain, and the team confirmed Monday night that he's been cleared to embark on a rehab stint. He hasn't appeared in a game since April 15, so he'll likely need at least a handful of games in the minors before being reinstated from the 10-day injured list.

Rooker is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta.

Rooker remains the Athletics' top power hitter with a team-best 11 home runs and .509 slugging percentage, but he's fallen into a bit of a slump at the dish over the past two weeks. Over his last 11 games, Rooker is hitting just .125 with one extra-base hit and a 42.9 percent strikeout rate. Rooker isn't in any immediate danger of losing hold of an everyday role, but he'll get a day off Monday to clear his head.

Pederson (hand) said he will swing the bat Monday for the first time since landing on the 10-day injured list May 15, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

A painful right hand contusion has kept Pederson out of commission for the past two weeks, but being able to resume swinging represents a major milestone in his recovery process. Depending on how Pederson fares in his workouts over the next few days, he could be cleared to head out on a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend, if the Giants determine that he requires one. While Pederson has been on the shelf, the Giants have been leaning on J.D. Davis and Blake Sabol as their primary options at designated hitter.

The Rockies placed Blackmon on the bereavement list Monday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon's absence from the lineup for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks was initially believed to be a routine day off, but he apparently didn't make the trip with the Rockies for the start of a four-game series in Arizona. Per MLB rules, Blackmon can remain on the list for 3-to-7 days, so he could be back with the team as soon as Thursday's series finale. The Rockies recalled corner infielder Elehuris Montero from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Blackmon on the 26-man active roster.