MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-4 in a win over the Cubs on Friday, but he's hitting just .191 with no home runs over 95 plate appearances in July.

Ozuna appeared to have finally hit his stride in his new St. Louis digs in June, when he hit .333 with two doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 21 RBI. However, all of those round trippers were bunched up in the first half of the month, and Ozuna hasn't left the yard since June 16. He has just two extra-base hits -- both doubles --in July as well, but interestingly, putting good wood on the ball hasn't been an issue. Ozuna sports a solid 39.2 percent hard-contact rate this month, but he's been getting the ball in the air much less frequently, as evidenced by a 52.7 percent groundball rate. The outfielder ran into the same issue in May (54.8 percent groundball rate), another month in which he unsurprisingly experienced a significant power drought (one home run).

Vientos went 3-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBI for Rookie-league Kingsport in Friday's win over Burlington.

The Mets' No. 6 fantasy prospect got a late start to the season but Vientos is finally getting locked in, slugging five of his six homers over the last 10 games and raising his slash line to .259/.331/.466, and he has an encouraging 12:19 BB:K through 29 games. The organization has no reason to rush the 18-year-old up the ladder, but if he continues to punish Appalachian League pitchers, he could make his Low-A debut before the end of the year.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run in Colorado's 3-1 win over Oakland on Friday.

Blackmon continues his hot hitting, as this marked his fifth multi-hit effort in his last nine outings to bring his average up to .290 through 389 at-bats. His RBI total is down from last season, but he's leading the National League with 78 runs scored and he's also been able to push his slugging percentage from .457 to .506 with a hot month of July that's seen him slash .366/.418/.690 over 71 at-bats.

Belt (knee) will be shut down from baseball activities for at least five days to let his bone bruise heal, Shayna Rubin of The Athletic San Francisco reports.

The Giants have already placed Belt on the disabled list, and Rubin's report gives a clearer indication of how long he'll be out. Belt will be sidelined until early next week as a best-case scenario before resuming activities, but the Giants figure to have a further update on his outlook towards the end of that five-day window. Look for the Giants to lean on Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey at first base in the interim.

The Giants placed Belt (knee) on the 10-day disabled list Thursday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt seemingly avoided any serious damage when he hyperextended his knee Wednesday, but the Giants will still give him ample time to recover without taking up a roster spot. Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey are the favorites to see time at first base in Belt's absence.

Winker will have surgery on his shoulder and will miss the rest of the season, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

President of baseball operations Dick Williams said Winker will be ready for spring training next year, but that his 2018 season is over. He suffered a right shoulder subluxation earlier this week. Winker is not a good defender in the outfield, but his recent production at the plate had earned him a spot in the heart of the Reds' order. He finishes the season with a .299/.405/.431 slash line, seven home runs and more walks (49) than strikeouts (46) in 334 plate appearances. His absence will open up more consistent playing time for Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler (shoulder), who is expected back soon.

Winker was put on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Tuesday due to a shoulder injury, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds officially diagnosed Winker with a right shoulder subluxation and called up Mason Williams to take his place on the active roster. Winker has remained on the bench since suffering the injury during Monday's game against the Cardinals. The club failed to specify a timetable for his return, though he will be eligible to come off the DL on Aug. 3.

Reyes has started just two games since being recalled to the majors July 11.

Reyes flashed his plus power during his first stint in the majors this year (six homers in 96 plate appearances), but he has taken a clear backseat to Hunter Renfroe as the Friars' fourth outfielder this time around. The rookie outfielder won't generate much fantasy interest while San Diego's starting outfield is at full strength.

The Reds are concerned enough about Winker's shoulder soreness that he might need to go on the DL, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports. "I'm concerned about it," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. "We want to dig into it and make sure we have a really good handle for what it is. I could see us taking the conservative approach because his long-term health is really important to us."

Initially this was considered a day-to-day injury, but the Reds' concern has heightened. If he doesn't show improvement in the next day or two, the DL trip is likely.

Blackmon went 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks in Wednesday's win over the Astros.

Locked in a 2-2 tie in the home half of the ninth, Blackmon deposited Collin McHugh's 3-1 offering over the wall in center for a walkoff solo home run. He's now riding a nine-game hitting streak and has been red-hot all month; the 32-year-old is hitting .366 with six homers and 12 RBI in 18 games since the start of July.