MLB Player News

Winker went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run in Wednesday's 19-4 loss to Cleveland.

The 24-year-old remains locked in at the plate. Over his last 20 games, he's hit a blistering .418 (23-for-55) with four homers, 20 RBI and a superb 15:9 BB:K. Winker remains stuck in a rotation in a crowded Reds outfield, but if he carries his current form into the second half, he should force his way into a true starting job.

Cespedes (hip) is taking grounders at first base at his own suggestion during his rehab, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Playing first base wouldn't allow Cespedes to show off his excellent arm, though he believes it could potentially keep him healthy. If he does end up playing first base on occasion, he could add some more positional flexibility for fantasy owners.

Pederson is out of the lineup again Wednesday against the Padres.

Pederson has sat in favor of Enrique Hernandez in three of the last four games, with all three absences coming against lefties. Pederson continues to be mostly protected against southpaws, against whom he's hit just .176/.262/.303 over the course of his career. The protection hurts his counting stats, but it's given him a career-high slugging percentage and a solid .245/.325/.518 line overall.

Miller is not in the lineup against Miami on Wednesday.

Miller will take a seat after going 0-for-8 with four strikeouts over the first two games of this series. In his place, Hernan Perez will start at second base and bat seventh in the lineup.

Assistant general manager John Ricco said Cespedes (hip) could begin a rehab assignment during the All-Star break, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Cespedes resumed baseball activities last week and could be back in action with the Mets for the start of the second half of the season next weekend if all goes according to plan.

Pederson is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Padres, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

He will sit with lefty Eric Lauer on the mound for the Padres. Enrique Hernandez will start in left field and hit second.

Reyes will be recalled by the Padres on Tuesday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic San Diego reports.

Reyes got his first taste of big-league action earlier in the season, hitting six homers in 29 games with a mediocre .228/.260/.457 slash line. The 6-foot-5 outfielder has shown big power at the Triple-A level this season, slugging .621 for El Paso, but will need to get on base more often if he's to receive much playing time in the big leagues. A corresponding move has not yet been announced.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Pirates.

Consistent contact remains an issue for Harper, who's hitting just .206 (7-for-34) over his last 11 games, but he's drawn 16 walks during that stretch and four of his hits have gone for extra bases (one double, three homers). He's already recorded his fourth straight 20-homer campaign, and given his 22 home runs through 89 games, a healthy second half will give him a shot at his second career season with 40 or more.

Carpenter slugged a three-run home run in a pinch-hit at-bat during a loss to the Giants on Sunday.

Called on to hit for reliever Brett Cecil in the eighth, Carpenter came through with a 391-foot shot to right that plated Paul DeJong and Yairo Munoz. The round tripper is just the latest taste of offensive success for the veteran, who's turned his season around by boosting his average 59 points since May 25.

Belt went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, a double, an RBI and a pair of runs scored in Sunday's 13-8 victory over St. Louis.

Belt reached base four times after tallying three hits in Saturday's loss, upping his season slash line to .300/.393/.509 through 75 games. The 30-year-old's career-best marks weren't enough to earn him a starting spot in the upcoming All-Star Game, but he is one of the five last-chance finalists who can be voted into the Midsummer Classic. Belt is certainly performing like an All-Star for his fantasy owners this season, making him one of the better draft-day values at first base based on where he was being taken at the beginning of the year.