MLB Player News

Blackmon went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Blackmon celebrated his 36th birthday with a solo shot in the eighth inning, but that was little more than window dressing in the lopsided loss. The veteran outfielder has gone 7-for-18 (.389) with three extra-base hits in his last four contests. He's up to 13 homers, 42 RBI, 39 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases while slashing .267/.318/.469 across 303 plate appearances.

Morel went 1-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in Friday's win over the Red Sox.

Morel hit a two-run shot off Hansel Robles to tie the game in the sixth inning. He's now homered in three consecutive games, giving him eight homers in 41 games this season. He'll have to keep showing power to remain the above-average hitter he's been thus far, as his 30.0 percent strikeout rate suggests his .281 batting average is due to drop soon.

Alvarez (head) remains out of the lineup Friday against the Angels, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jeremy Pena, meanwhile, is back in the lineup after the collision with Alvarez on Wednesday. Clearly Alvarez is worse off than Pena, but there is still little clarity on Alvarez's condition. Alvarez remains day-to-day and on the active roster at this time.

Winker went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in a win over the Athletics on Thursday.

Winker produced one of two multi-hit efforts of the night for Seattle, pushing his season slash line to an uneven .235/.353/.351. The 28-year-old is still awaiting word on his appeal of the suspension he received for igniting an ugly brawl against the Angels on Sunday, and he's now boasting a .412/.524/.706 slash line with 12 extra-base hits across his last 10 games.

Soler will be placed on the 10-day injured list prior to Friday's contest against the Nationals with bilateral pelvis inflammation, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Soler was a late scratch from Wednesday's game versus the Cardinals due to back discomfort, but a different injury will be attributed to his placement on the IL. The outfielder had been playing through the injury recently, which suggests his absence could be limited to just the 10 days. A corresponding move will likely be made later Friday.

Turner went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and three total RBI in Thursday's 3-1 victory against San Diego.

Padres starter Joe Musgrove mostly shut down Dodgers hitters in the contest, but he couldn't contain Turner, who notched his first multi-homer game of the season. All three of Los Angeles' runs came by way of Turner long balls, as the veteran went deep in the second inning and again in the seventh. He's still well below his career norms with a .227/.298/.375 slash line and just six homers through 70 contests on the campaign, but his power has come in spurts at times in the past, so he'll look to build on Thursday's performance.

Morel went 5-for-5 with a home run, a double, three runs and two RBI in Thursday's 15-7 victory versus Cincinnati.

Reds pitchers were unable to keep Morel off the basepaths in the contest, as he racked up a career-best five hits and fell a triple short of the cycle. He capped his performance with an eighth-inning solo homer that traveled an estimated 440 feet. Morel has now gone deep in consecutive games for the second time this season and is 8-for-14 with two homers, five RBI and six runs over his past three contests.

Lewis (concussion) took batting practice again Tuesday and added sprint drills out of the batter's box following his final swing of each round, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Lewis was also wearing elastic stretch bands on his right leg, which were designed to help him with his running form and ensure his surgically repaired knee remained elevated upon his initial burst. The slugging outfielder is unsure of a return date, and he noted he remained bedridden for the first week following his concussion due to his sensitivity to bright lights and loud sounds. However, the fact he's now consistently elevating his heart rate during baseball activities could be the final step before he's cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment.

Choi isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Although Choi started against a left-handed pitcher Wednesday, he'll get a breather with southpaw Yusei Kikuchi on the mound Thursday. Harold Ramirez is serving as the designated hitter and batting third.

Alvarez (head) is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's contest against the Yankees.

Alvarez collided with Jeremy Pena (mouth) in left field during Wednesday's contest and was forced out of the game after remaining on the ground for a few minutes. It's unclear whether he suffered a concussion or not, but he will be unavailable Thursday. J.J. Matijevic will get the start at designated hitter and bat sixth versus New York.