MLB Player News

Carpenter is back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.

Carpenter received a day of rest Saturday after going hitless in his previous two games. He'll lead off and take his usual spot at third base.

Turner (toe) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rockies.

Turner will be given his second straight day of rest to allow the bruised big toe suffered on Friday night to heal. He's been experimenting with a new protective insert that could potentially ease his discomfort, however, so a return to action shouldn't be too far off. Consider him day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener against the Marlins.

Turner (toe) will attempt to play in Sunday's game, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

The official starting lineup has yet to be released, so it's unclear if Turner's willingness to play will result in the starting nod. He will apparently utilize a special shoe insert that immobilizes the joint that causes the discomfort in his bruised big toe. These injuries tend to be a bit tricky, as rest is the only real treatment, and the ailment is easy to aggravate. Nonetheless, the Dodgers seemingly have a plan for their starting third baseman, and if he doesn't return to action Sunday, look for him to be back in the lineup at some point this week.

Ruf is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

He'll sit on Sunday while Emmanuel Burriss will start in left field and bat seventh. Ruf started the last two games against Milwaukee in left and produced two hits in six at-bats.

Cespedes (leg), who is not in Sunday's lineup, could miss time in the upcoming series against Cincinnati, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

It appears the leg injury that has sidelined Cespedes is lingering a bit longer than expected, putting his Monday availability in question. He'll visit team doctors when the team returns to New York in hopes of getting some further insight on the ailment. While Cespedes remains sidelined, look for Juan Lagares to see extra reps in the New York outfield.

Harper is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Twins, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper has started each of the Nationals' first 17 games of the year in right field, but he'll get Sunday off after going 2-for-4 with a double in Saturday's contest. Matt den Dekker will man right in his stead, while Daniel Murphy will move up to the third spot in the batting order.

Cespedes (leg) has been ruled out for Sunday's series finale in Atlanta, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

Cespedes was removed from Friday's game due to a bruise on his right leg, which effectively sidelined him for the rest of the series. Because he was unable to swing a bat Saturday, he'll likely enter the upcoming week with questionable availability. Nonetheless, if he's unable to go Monday against the Reds, Juan Lagares and Alejandro De Aza are available to man center field.

Turner's toe was stepped on in Friday's game, which is why he is out of Saturday's lineup, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

The bruised toe will keep him out of the field Saturday, but he is still available to pinch hit. Howie Kendrick is getting the start at third base Saturday, but it sounds like Turner will be back in the fold in the near future.

Blackmon (turf toe) is angling toward a two-game rehab stint next week, although nothing definitive has been reported regarding when he could rejoin the Rockies, the Denver Post's Nick Groke reports.

Presumably, if the rehab games go well, Blackmon could be on the brink of rejoining the Rockies, but the return from turf toe is often a very fluid situation, so owners should be careful not to bank on his services next weekend. Ryan Raburn and Ben Paulsen will continue to handle most of the duties in left field while Gerardo Parra mans center field in Blackmon's absence.

Cespedes (leg) may be sidelined through at least the remainder of the Mets' weekend series with the Braves, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports. "The bruise is pretty big. He's aggravated it, and he's limping pretty bad. He's pretty swelled. He's certainly not going to be available [Saturday]," said manager Terry Collins.

Although Rubin is reporting that Cespedes does not have any further testing scheduled on his bruised leg, it is significant enough of an injury to potentially keep him out of the final two games of the Mets' series with the Braves. Cespedes aggravated a pre-existing leg bruise Friday on a slide into second base. Given Collins' comments, Cespedes could be sidelined Sunday in addition to Saturday, in which case Juan Lagares or Alejandro De Aza could take his spot in the outfield.