MLB Player News

Assistant general manager John Ricco reported Tuesday that Cespedes (hamstring) could possibly return from the disabled list next Tuesday, May 23, Matt Ehalt of the Bergen Record reports.

Cespedes's condition has been steadily improving since being placed on the disabled list in late-April. He began a five-day running program Tuesday and has been taking at-bats during extended spring training over the past few days. If he's able to advance through the week with no setbacks, the star left fielder could return to action as soon as early next week.

Manager Bruce Bochy announced Tuesday that Belt will not be in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt is hitting just .059 (3-for-51) during his career against Wednesday's starter Clayton Kershaw, so Bochy has opted to give the veteran first baseman the day off. Belt should be well-rested and ready to return to the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

Colon was claimed off waivers by the Marlins on Tuesday, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Colon was designated for assignment after putting up an underwhelming performance in limited playing time in Kansas City, but his major-league experience ultimately was enough to warrant interest from Miami. With the Marlins plagued by several injuries to their infielders, it wouldn't be surprising to see the former first-rounder spend quite a bit of time in the majors. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, Steve Lombardozzi was designated for assignment.

Jimenez went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season in Monday's game with High-A Myrtle Beach.

The Cubs' top prospect was just activated over the weekend after missing 35 games due to a shoulder injury, so it's nice to see him display some power right away. The 20-year-old is likely a few years away from the majors, but he's one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

Turner is not in the lineup Monday against the Giants, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Despite back-to-back multi-hit games, Turner will head to the bench for the first time in 22 contests as Enrique Hernandez gets the nod at the hot corner. Turner is enjoying a nice year at the plate again, slashing .359/.433/.473 through 131 at-bats.

Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Cubs.

Carpenter opened May with a flurry, smacking four home runs in the month's first five games. He hadn't gone deep since that point until Sunday, when his 435-foot shot to right center in the third extended the Cardinals' lead to 4-0. The blast pushed Carpenter's RBI total in May to 10, and he now leads the team in RBI (24) and slugging percentage (.523).

Harper went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, his 12th of the season, in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Phillies.

He followed that up by going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the nightcap to help the Nats split the twin bill. Despite his huge start to the season, Harper has somehow found another gear recently, slashing .417/.481/.875 with three homers, seven RBI and five runs over his last six games.

Ozuna went 2-for-3 with a walk during Sunday's win against Atlanta.

Reaching base three times lifted Ozuna's slash line to an impressive .316/.390/.603, and he's already posted 11 home runs, 29 RBI and 20 runs. The 26-year-old outfielder is well on his way to a career-best campaign, and he's locked into the heart of the Marlins' lineup.

McCutchen, who is slashing .132/.207/.302 in his last 58 plate appearances since April 29, is batting third Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Despite his struggles, McCutchen is batting .333 with three homers and eight RBI against left-handed pitching in 2017. With Arizona throwing southpaw Robbie Ray (against whom McCutchen has two hits in five career at-bats), perhaps the outfielder can get back on track. Certainly, his .226 BABIP figures to inch closer to his career mark of .328, or at least his 2016 number of .297.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run, walk-off home run during Saturday's 6-4 win over the Phillies.

He also scored a second run, giving him an incredible 39 runs through 32 games to go along with 11 homers and 31 RBI. Harper's heroics capped a day in which he signed a record-breaking one-year deal to avoid arbitration in 2018, but $21.65 million could look like a relative bargain next season given his current .368/.493/.726 pace.