MLB Player News

Blackmon went 3-for-6 with a triple and two runs scored in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Blackmon got his first triple of the season off starter Brandon Woodruff in the third, and the three-hit night improves his slash line to .285/.388/.585. The 31-year-old's 11 home runs and 31 runs scored both rank in the top five among MLB outfielders.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three runs in the Cardinals' 9-5 victory over the Padres on Friday.

It had been a disappointing start at the plate so far for Ozuna coming off his career-high 37-homer campaign of last season, as this long ball was just his third in 142 at-bats. He's still sporting an underwhelming .261/.293/.359 slash line but hopefully this strong offensive showing is a sign he's in store for a hot streak that will see him start to push his .652 OPS back toward last season's fantastic mark of .924.

Turner (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment at High-A Rancho Cucamonga Saturday and could return to the Dodgers early next week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Turner will play third base for Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday and Sunday and could rejoin the Dodgers for the upcoming series in Miami, which starts Tuesday. The 33-year-old could require a couple extra rehab appearances given his significant layoff to start the season, but the Dodgers are hoping two games will be enough for the veteran third baseman to get re-acclimated.

Carpenter is out of the lineup against the Padres on Friday.

Carpenter will take a seat following three straight hitless outings and with southpaw Eric Lauer on the bump for San Diego. In his stead, Jedd Gyorko will start at third and bat fifth. Expect Carpenter back in the lineup Saturday.

Cespedes (quad) is back in the Mets' lineup Friday against the Phillies, source reports.

Cespedes' sore quad prevented him from starting Wednesday, but he's already back in action. For the season, he's hitting a respectable (though disappointing by his standards) .248/.313/.457, with seven homers and three steals.

Pederson started in center field and batted second Thursday, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in a loss to the Reds.

The Dodgers have been decimated by injuries in the early going, but even with Yasiel Puig returning to the lineup this week, Pederson continued his string of starts in center against right-handed starters. Manager Dave Roberts stated that Enrique Hernandez would take over center field duties, with Chris Taylor filling in for Corey Seager (elbow) at short, but his lineup cards over the past couple of weeks indicate that Pederson is on the strong side of a platoon. Seager has already been ruled out for the season, so this window of playing time could stay open for a while, making the 26-year-old a decent flier for power and counting stats.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 in a win over the Padres on Thursday.

Ozuna continues to make serviceable offensive contributions, but he's unquestionably underperforming in terms of overall impact as compared to prior seasons. The slugger has only seven extra-base hits (five doubles, two home runs) over his first 145 plate appearances, while his slugging percentage is currently a career-low .333 thanks to a jaw-droppingly anemic .079 ISO, easily a career-worst figure as well. Contact issues appear to be playing a part in his struggles, as Ozuna's .330 BABIP and career-high 47.1 percent hard contact rate are offset by a rise of more than four points in his strikeout rate to 25.5 percent. Moreover, he's also pulling the ball at the highest rate (44.1 percent) since his rookie 2013 campaign in Miami.

Turner (wrist) is expected to be sent on a rehab assignment over the weekend, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The Dodgers are getting close to having two established veterans back with the club as Turner and Logan Forsythe (shoulder) are ready for rehab assignments. Turner has been sidelined since spring training due to a broken wrist, so his return should bring a spark to the Dodgers' lineup. Given the length of his absence, Turner will likely need multiple rehab games before being activated. Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer will continue to split time at third base in the meantime.

Cespedes sat out of Wednesday's game due to a sore right quad, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The slugging outfielder missed time earlier in the week due to the same kind of injury, so it seems like things haven't completely healed on that front. With Thursday's off-day, Cespedes hopes to only miss one game of action, though he should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday's matchup with the Phillies. Brandon Nimmo should see an increased role if Cespedes is unable to play Friday.

McCutchen is not in the lineup against the Phillies on Thursday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

McCutchen has gone 8-for-20 (.400 average) with one RBI over the past six games and will head to the bench for Thursday's matinee series finale in Philadelphia. Gregor Blanco will start in right field while Brandon Belt draws a start in left. Expect McCutchen back in the lineup Friday for his return to Pittsburgh.