MLB Player News

Ozuna was scratched from Wednesday's game against the Pirates due to right side tightness, Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest reports.

Manager Mike Shildt downplayed the severity of the injury, per Hayes, noting the Cardinals simply wanted to get Ozuna checked out while adding that the team isn't concerned about a possible long-term absence. Jose Martinez will start in left field and bat cleanup in his place. Ozuna should be considered day-to-day for now.

Pederson is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Giants, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

As has been the case all season, Pederson will retreat to the bench with a southpaw (Derek Holland) toeing the rubber for the opposition. Chris Taylor will start in left field and hit seventh in this one.

Ozuna, who has only one extra-base hit and has struck out eight times in his first 22 plate appearances, has seen a significant decline in hard contact thus far this season, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Following offseason shoulder surgery, Ozuna declared himself as healthy has he'd been in years this spring. The authority with which he's hitting the ball suggests otherwise. Ozuna's current 15.4 percent hard-contact rate ranks in the bottom seven percent of National League hitters, and he's registered an exit velocity of over 101 mph on only one ball in play thus far. However, Langosch reports the Cardinals appear set on keeping Ozuna in the cleanup spot for the time being.

Harper went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Harper was booed heartily upon his return to Washington but that didn't stop him from continuing to crush the baseball Tuesday. The former MVP put an exclamation point on the evening with his two-run blast during the eighth inning, which traveled an estimated 458 feet. The 26-year-old is 6-for-14 with two doubles, three home runs, five RBI and five walks through four games.

Reyes is not starting Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Reyes sits for the second time in six games. Franchy Cordero starts in his place in right field.

Pederson remains on the bench Tuesday against the Giants, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson has taken a seat in three of the Dodgers' first six games as the Dodgers have faced three lefties. Chris Taylor starts in left field with southpaw Madison Bumgarner on the mound.

Cespedes (heel) played catch in the outfield with the Mets prior to Monday's game, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

He joined up with the team in Miami to be evaluated by the training staff. Cespedes has been playing catch for a couple of weeks and, if his testing went well, could be cleared to begin taking some light swings with a bat. The 33-year-old has no timetable for his return and is still a long way from being cleared to run, perhaps the most important step in his rehab, but the club still hopes he'll see game action sometime in 2019.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and three RBI to help the Giants to a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers on Monday.

The veteran first baseman provided most of the offense for San Francisco in this contest with a solo homer off Joe Kelly before driving in two more to account for three of his team's four runs in the game. Belt was just 1-for-11 on the season coming into the game, so it was good to see him break out as he looks to rebound coming off an injury-shortened 2018 campaign that saw him post a .756 OPS over 399 at-bats -- his lowest mark since 2014.

Turner is back in the lineup for Monday's tilt against the Giants.

Turner received a maintenance day Sunday, but he's back in action, hitting second for the opener of the Dodgers' series against the Giants. The 34-year-old veteran went 3-for-5 with five RBI in his last start, so he'll look to keep the momentum going against San Francisco lefty Drew Pomeranz.

Pederson is not in the lineup Monday against the Giants, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

The Dodgers want to stack right-handed hitters against southpaw Drew Pomeranz, so Pederson will give way to Chris Taylor in left field for Monday's series opener. Pederson is off to a hot start at the plate, going 7-for-15 (.467) with a trio of homers, five RBI, eight runs scored and a 4:2 BB:K through four games.