MLB Player News

Dickerson is out of the lineup Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

He is hitting just .241/.281/.379 with one home run in 64 plate appearances this month and may begin to lose out on a bit of playing time down the stretch. The Padres recalled corner outfielder Patrick Kivlehan, who is starting in left field Saturday, and outfield prospects Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot could be summoned in September to further complicate matters.

Blackmon has been scratched from Friday's game against the Cubs due to a right big toe contusion.

The Rockies game was delayed Friday and the news about Blackmon being scratched didn't come out until most lineups had locked, so this news won't do daily owners much good. David Dahl moved to center field and the leadoff spot while Ben Paulsen entered the lineup at first base and Gerardo Parra moved over to left field. Blackmon should be considered day-to-day.

Cespedes (quadriceps) was activated from the DL and is starting in left field Friday against San Francisco, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

As expected, Cespedes has been brought off the DL and is back in the cleanup spot in Friday's lineup. He'll join an outfield of Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce as the Mets take on Johnny Cueto and the Giants.

Turner went 2-for-3 with a walk and a three-run homer in Thursday's loss in Philadelphia.

Turner's first-inning blast was his second in as many nights, fifth in 12 games and his 23rd of the season. The 31-year-old third baseman has been locked in since the All-Star break. Through 112 second-half at-bats, Turner is hitting .339 /.383/.705 with 11 doubles, 10 homers, 28 RBI and 22 runs scored.

Dickerson went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and four RBI against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

He'd driven in exactly zero runs over the past eight games, but reversed that trend in a big way Thursday with his three-run double in the eighth inning giving the Padres the lead and just enough breathing room to escape with a win. The 26-year-old rookie has been fairly useful for fantasy owners when in the lineup this year as he's still maintaining an OPS over .800. He's always hit in the minors but Dickerson will need to continue establishing himself over the rest of this season as well as next year before he fully sheds the Quad-A label.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a two-run shot versus the Reds on Thursday.

Ozuna now has 22 home runs -- one off his career high -- as he continues his breakout year. The last two weeks have been rough on him (.143 batting average), but as a whole, the 25-year-old is getting on base more than ever before, and he has dramatically cut down on his strikeout rate.

Cespedes (quadriceps) will be activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday, Matt Ehalt of The Record.

The Mets get some much-needed offensive power back Friday with Cespedes' return from a quad injury. Cespedes had his initial activation date pushed back a day in order for him to play a rehab game earlier in the week. His return will be a boon to a Mets outfield corps that has posted the fourth-worst wOBA from the center field spot over the past two weeks.

Although McCutchen sports a .472 on-base percentage and 12:8 BB:K since the Pirates benched him in the beginning of August, he doesn't believe the time off helped him. "I will forever tell you that (those) three days had nothing to do with what I'm doing," McCutchen told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I would've done this regardless. I might have five more hits in three games. Instead of hitting .240, I could be hitting .260."

He's slashing .317/.472/.512 in 53 August plate appearances, stealing three bases in four attempts. McCutchen has seen false glimmers of hope before in 2016, but the improvement in plate discipline is most encouraging -- prior to his August turnaround he held just a 35:107 BB:K. Look for a strong finish from the five-time All-Star.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in a win against the Brewers on Wednesday.

His three-run homer in the first punctuated a five-run inning that set the Cubs well on their way to victory. Soler isn't an everyday player and tends to get subbed out of games for defensive or double-switching purposes, which can limit his counting stats, but he's been raking when given the chance in August, hitting .379 with four homers in just 29 at-bats.

Turner went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a pair of runs scored Wednesday in the Dodgers' win over the Phillies.

Turner has hit for tremendous power of late, with 11 home runs in his last 30 games. Turner's power may be the result of a change in approach at the plate, however, as he's not taken a walk since July 27th. He entered Wednesday slugging .643 in August, but with an OBP of just .310.