MLB Player News

Winker went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run Wednesday against the Marlins.

Winker delivered the game-winning run with his second homer of the season in the eighth inning. He's gotten starts in each of the two games that Yasiel Puig has been suspended and gone yard in both after starting the season in a prolonged slump. Despite the promising recent performance, Winker may end up back in an outfield rotation, splitting time with Matt Kemp and Scott Schebler now that Puig is eligible to return to the lineup.

Carpenter agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Cardinals on Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The deal includes a third-year vesting option.

Carpenter was in the final guaranteed year of his contract but will now remain with the Cardinals through the 2021 campaign. The 33-year-old is coming off an impressive 2018 season that saw him slash .257/.374/.523 with 36 homers and 81 RBI in 156 games.

Belt is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Padres, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt will head to the bench for what appears to be a routine breather after starting the past 10 games, going 9-for-35 (.257) with a trio of homers and eight RBI in those appearances. Buster Posey will cover first base in place of Belt, opening up a spot in the lineup for Erik Kratz to start behind the dish.

Reyes is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Giants.

Reyes has a hit in each of the last two games, but that's only been enough to bring his batting average up to .148, and he has just a single homer. Hunter Renfroe, who starts in right field Wednesday, has hit .333 with four home runs.

Ozuna describes his current arm strength at "55 percent" following offseason right shoulder surgery but continues a therapeutic regimen designed to progressively increase it, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Ozuna is undergoing therapy, pregame exercises and work on his throwing mechanics daily with coach Willie McGee in an effort to get back to full capacity as soon as possible. Ozuna has tabbed accuracy as one of the areas he's still most lacking in, acknowledging that he's occasionally missing his target and "throwing wild." Despite his struggles at times this season, Langosch notes that a throw Ozuna made in Pittsburgh last week clocked in at 84.4 mph per Statcast, harder than any he'd made last year but still below some of the 90-plus mph lasers the veteran uncorked in Miami back in 2016. The good news for fantasy owners is that the results have been increasingly better on the offensive side of things -- Ozuna slugged the hardest-hit home run thus far this season in the first inning Monday, and both of his round trippers have come within the last four games.

Blackmon won't play Wednesday against the Braves with the contest being postponed due to inclement weather in Colorado, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Colorado and Atlanta will hold a make-up game Aug. 26. Blackmon and the Rockies will return to action Thursday in San Francisco for the club's series opener with the Giants.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's extra-inning loss to the Nationals.

Harper gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead during the third inning with the three-run shot, though the Nationals rallied late to steal the win. The 26-year-old owns a .333/.511/.788 slash line with four home runs, eight RBI and three doubles in 33 at-bats.

Winker went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, three RBI and two runs in a 14-0 victory against the Marlins on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old had just one hit in 26 at-bats prior to Tuesday, so this production was a sight for sore eyes. Winker has a long way to go to turn things around, but this was a step in the right direction. Winker is 3-for-29 (.103) with a homer, three RBI and two runs in 10 games this season.

Blackmon will head to the bench Tuesday against the Braves, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Blackmon will sit for the first time this season, with Yonathan Daza making his big-league debut in right field. The outfielder has had a decent start to the year, hitting .273 in 11 games.

Turner is back in the lineup, hitting second and playing third base for Tuesday's contest against the Cardinals, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Turner received a maintenance day Monday, but he'll slide back into the second spot in the order and man the hot corner Tuesday. The 34-year-old is hitting .293 with a .375 on-base percentage through 41 at-bats, although he is still looking to find his power stroke; Turner is slugging just .317 and is still looking for his first long ball.