MLB Player News

Winker aggravated a shoulder injury Monday, Justin Williams of The Athletic Cincinnati reports.

The injury explains Winker's absence from Tuesday's lineup. He reportedly picked it up in the ninth inning of Monday's game against the Cardinals when he hit the ground while running the bases. The Reds believe the injury to be nothing worse than soreness and don't expect him to miss significant time.

Harper was scratched from the Nationals' lineup for undisclosed reasons, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

It's unclear whether or not Harper is dealing with an injury. Michael Taylor will start in center field in his place.

Cespedes (heel) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Padres.

Michael Conforto will remain the starter in left field. Cespedes' status is currently up in the air while the Mets await a second opinion on his injured heels. He's expected to land on the disabled list, per Mike Puma of the New York Post, and could be headed for season-ending surgery.

Winker is not starting Tuesday against the Cardinals.

Winker will take a seat as the Reds take on the left-handed Austin Gomber. Phillip Ervin and Adam Duvall will start in the outfield corners.

Cespedes (heel) is likely to land on the disabled list, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Cespedes stated Friday that he's dealing with calcification in both heels which will eventually require surgery. It's not clear whether that surgery will happen soon. The Mets are awaiting a second opinion but the current expectation is that he'll miss some time. Outcomes ranging from a relatively quick return to the lineup to an 8-to-10 month absence remain on the table at this point.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in a loss to the Reds on Monday.

Although the Cardinals' offense was largely stuck in a funk Monday, Carpenter is seemingly immune from any offensive malaise these days. He laced his 31st double of the season off starter Luis Castillo for one of his two hits, extending his hitting streak to eight games in the process. Carpenter's prolific July has seen him slash .364/.481/.939 over 81 plate appearances thus far.

Pederson led off and went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and a pair of runs scored in Monday's 7-6 win over the Phillies.

Pederson returned to the starting lineup after sitting against a southpaw Sunday, responding with his 14th homer of the season. The 26-year-old's strong play this year (.256/.342/.529) keeps him in the starting lineup against righties, which should be enough playing time to help most fantasy owners in the power department.

Turner was placed on the disabled list with a right groin strain Monday.

Turner will be eligible to return Aug. 2. The newly acquired Manny Machado will slide over to third base to cover for him until then. Alex Verdugo was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

Cespedes (heel) is out of the lineup for the second straight game Monday against the Padres.

Cespedes returned from a hip injury Friday but was held out of Saturday's game after revealing that he may need surgery to deal with calcification in his heels. He was not in Sunday's lineup either, though that game ended up being rained out. He is expected to visit a specialist early this week, at which point a clearer timeline should emerge.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Braves.

The slugger took Dan Winkler deep for a solo shot in the eighth inning, giving Harper 24 homers on the season. He's also now up to eight steals, having swiped a base in each of the first two games coming out of the All-Star break. It's been a rough campaign for the 25-year-old so far in terms of batting average, but he's still more than capable of going on a tear over the final months.