MLB Player News

Carpenter went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and another two-bagger in a win over the Twins on Wednesday.

A move down the batting order seemed to work wonders for Carpenter, as he snapped out of a nightmarish 4-for-48 slump with his first multi-hit effort since May 1. Manager Mike Matheny afforded Carpenter multiple games off recently in an attempt to allow him to hit the reset button on a dreadful start to 2018, and for at least one afternoon, that appeared to pay some dividends. Despite the productive performance Wednesday, Carpenter's .160/.297/.303 line has abundant room for improvement, as does the .208 BABIP that has also played a large part in his struggles.

Belt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Reds.

Belt has now gone yard in three straight games, and his nine home runs on the season already put him halfway toward matching last year's career-high 18. He's also slashing .301/.405/.562 -- all of which would be personal bests -- and looks poised to have his best season yet at age 30.

Carpenter will bat seventh in the Cardinals' lineup for Wednesday's game against Minnesota.

This marks the first time that Carpenter has been slotted into the batting order any lower that fourth since 2015. Over the past 16 games, he's gone just 4-for-48 with one home run, three RBI and 19 strikeouts.

Cespedes (hip) was put on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Monday.

Cespedes has been bothered by a strained right hip flexor since last Wednesday and was finally placed on the DL as it became clear that he needed some time to recover. With this stint being backdated to Monday, Cespedes will be eligible to return for the start of the Mets' series in Milwaukee on May 24. In a corresponding move, Phillip Evans was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to provide some extra depth in the outfield.

Belt went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

Belt knocked a ball into the water off starter Tyler Mahle, helping to spark a four-run fourth inning. The first baseman has recorded eight hits in his last four games, bringing his slash line to .298/.405/.546 with 18 extra-base hits. Belt's .405 on-base percentage ranks fourth in the majors among first basemen.

Reyes recorded his first hit in the majors Tuesday, going 1-for-3 in a win over the Rockies.

Reyes' stat line didn't move the needle for fantasy owners, but it was a meaningful day for the rookie. The slugging outfielder played his way onto the major-league roster, and has started both games since his callup; one in place of Travis Jankowski and one in place of Manuel Margot. It is still unclear how the playing time in the Padres' outfield will be distributed, especially once everyone is healthy, but the club is clearly making an effort to get the promising 22-year-old's bat in the lineup early on.

Cespedes has a mild strain of his right hip flexor, Tim Britton of The Athletic New York reports.

The issue is reportedly the same one Cespedes has been dealing with for the past several days, though it was initially referred to as a sore quad. He's available to pinch hit Tuesday but a trip to the disabled list is still possible, as the injury has been nagging him for some time.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and the Marlins.

Pederson hasn't started against a single lefty this season, but he's gotten the nod against every righty since April 18. A strict platoon makes sense for the outfielder, as he's posted a 126 wRC+ against righties over the course of his career compared to just a 60 wRC+ against lefties. Enrique Hernandez will start in center field in his absence.

Turner (wrist) was activated from the disabled list Tuesday and is in the lineup for the Dodgers' game in Miami, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner has yet to play so far this season after breaking his wrist in a spring training game. He'll head immediately to the third spot in the order for a Dodgers team that could certainly use a boost, as their record currently sits at 16-24. Turner hit a very impressive .322/.415/.530 last season, though whether or not the wrist injury will have any lingering effects on his ability to drive the ball remains to be seen.

Cespedes is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cespedes had been dealing with a sore quad in recent days, though he did manage to start the Mets' last two games. Tuesday's day off appears to be an effort to get him extra rest to keep the issue in check. Brandon Nimmo will get a start in left field in his absence.