MLB Player News

Mercedes went 5-for-5 with two home runs Sunday for Triple-A Charlotte.

Mercedes announced his retirement on July 21 and then changed his mind a day later. His decision didn't impact him at the plate, as he's hitting .287 with a .826 OPS and six home runs in 20 games since July 23. With Yasmani Grandal returning soon from a knee injury, however, it doesn't look like there's a good chance of Mercedes returning to the majors in the near term.

Brantley went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Angels.

Brantley clubbed his eighth homer of the season to put Houston up a run in the third inning, but the Astros' dominant lineup was elsewise quieted, going hitless with runners in scoring position. It's been a relatively quiet season for Brantley, who continues to hit with regularity (.332) but has just 39 RBI through 94 games.

Turner went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two walks in Sunday's 14-4 win over the Mets.

Turner slammed a two-run homer in the first-inning off Carlos Carrasco. In addition, he singled and walked twice to contribute to the Dodgers' 14 runs. He is batting .222 with a pair of long balls in the month of August. The 36-year-old is slashing .290/.379/.497 with 21 home runs, 68 RBI and 63 runs scored in 446 plate appearances overall.

Vogelbach (hamstring) rejoined the Brewers on Sunday after completing a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville, but he remains on the 10-day injured list.

Vogelbach looks to have made a full recovery from a strained left hamstring after he wrapped up a two-week rehab assignment at Nashville, during which he posted a monstrous 1.134 OPS and a 12:7 BB:K over 11 games. Before the Brewers placed him on the IL on June 23, Vogelbach had been filling the strong side of a platoon at first base, but the club has since acquired Rowdy Tellez and Eduardo Escobar to serve as left- and right-handed options at the position. With that in mind, Vogelbach's role is currently in flux, and the Brewers could be forced to designate him for assignment if the team doesn't have room for him on the bench.

Martinez went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-2 win over Baltimore.

The 33-year-old got a start in left field Sunday as the Red Sox continue to be cautious with Kyle Schwarber's return from a hamstring injury. Martinez put the Red Sox ahead with his first-inning blast, and the lead never flipped after that. He's homered in consecutive contests to give himself 23 for the year, along with 79 RBI, 76 runs scored, 32 doubles and a .293/.359/.545 slash line through 476 plate appearances.

Winker exited Sunday's win over the Phillies after aggravating his intercostal strain and will be evaluated further Monday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Winker missed the previous two games with what was labeled lower-back tightness, but he's apparently been dealing with an intercostal strain. He rejoined the lineup Sunday and went 0-for-2 before aggravating the injury on a swing. The 28-year-old's outlook should receive more clarity after he's evaluated Monday, but he should at least be expected to be out of the starting nine for a day or two.

Turner (groin) will start at third base and bat third Sunday against the Mets, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

As manager Dave Roberts hinted would be the case, Turner checks back into the starting nine for the series after a left groin injury kept him on the bench for the past five contests. Chris Taylor had been serving as Turner's primary replacement at the hot corner, but he'll shift to left field Sunday while AJ Pollock gets the night off.

Blackmon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.

The Rockies will extend some maintenance to Blackmon for the day game after the night game, affording Yonathan Daza a turn in right field. Blackmon is hitting .200 with two extra-base hits (one home run, one double) through 12 games in August and is on track to finish with his lowest OPS (.740) in any season since 2012, his second year in the big leagues.

Winker exited in the bottom of the third inning of Sunday's game against the Phillies due to an unspecified issue, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He went hitless in two at-bats before departing.

The Reds haven't provided an explanation behind Winker's removal, but his early exit could be related to the lower-back tightness that kept him on the bench for the first two games of the series. Aristides Aquino came on to replace Winker, who should be viewed as day-to-day ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Cubs.

Choi is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi returned to the lineup Saturday after dealing with a sore hamstring, and he'll move back to the bench Sunday with left-hander Charlie Barnes pitching for Minnesota. Jordan Luplow will work at first base in his place for the series finale.