MLB Player News

Turner is not in Thursday's lineup due to back tightness, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Turner's back apparently tightened up during batting practice Wednesday, which helps explain his absence from the lineup over the past two games. According to Gurnick, manager Dave Roberts said Turner likely would have played if it were the playoffs, so it sounds like the Dodgers are playing it safe with four games left in the season. Jedd Gyorko is starting at third base in Thursday's series finale in place of Turner, who should be considered day-to-day.

Belt is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rockies.

Belt will head to the bench for Thursday's series finale with left-hander Kyle Freeland starting for the Rockies. In his place, Austin Slater is starting at first base and hitting second.

Pederson is not in the lineup Thursday against the Padres, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson is 4-for-7 with three home runs and four RBI over the past two games, but he'll head to the bench with a lefty in Joey Lucchesi starting for the Padres. Kris Negron is starting in right field and hitting eighth in this one.

Turner is not in the lineup Thursday against the Padres, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner will sit for a second straight game, presumably to rest and get right ahead of the playoffs; the third baseman recently returned from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for nearly two weeks. Jedd Gyorko is starting at third base and hitting seventh in his place.

Blackmon is not in Thursday's lineup against the Giants.

Blackmon will sit for the second time in four games as the Rockies go with a younger outfield consisting of Raimel Tapia, Yonathan Daza and Sam Hilliard for Thursday's series finale. The veteran outfielder has appeared in 20 games this month, slashing .300/.388/.543 with four home runs and a 9:9 BB:K.

Pederson went 3-for-3 with two solo home runs, a walk and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Padres.

Pederson surpassed his own franchise record with his ninth leadoff homer of the season to kick off the scoring, then went deep again in the fifth inning. For good measure, he drove home his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly to plate an insurance run in the ninth frame. The 27-year-old is enjoying his finest season at the plate, establishing career highs in homers (35), RBI (72), runs scored (81) and hits (110).

Canha, who suffered a left groin strain Wednesday, is determined to return Friday against the Mariners, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Canha told Slusser that he would write his name on the lineup card if it came to that, but this injury typically requires at least a few days to come back from, so he should be considered questionable for that contest. At the very least, we can rule him out Thursday.

Collins started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Indians.

Collins saw his six-game hitting streak snapped and is hitting just .088 (3-for-34) when he starts at catcher. He acknowledged to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that he needs to focus on his defensive work during the offseason to prove he can be an everyday catcher. "I plan to work a little more on my catching this year," Collins said. "I worked a little bit last offseason but this year I'm going to take it to the next level and come to spring training ready to go.'' Part of a young catcher's challenge when focusing on defense is minimizing the impact it has on his bat. The White Sox like Collins' power potential and could eventually use him as DH for much of 2020.

Canha exited Wednesday's game against the Angels with an apparent injury, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Canha appeared to tweak something when cutting off a ball in left-center field as he slowly left the field after making an awkward throw to the infield. The 30-year-old entered the contest with a 1.010 OPS in his previous 15 games, and the potential injury couldn't come at a worse time with the A's making a final push for a playoff spot. Canha should be considered day-to-day until more information is available.

Choi had X-rays on his foot come back negative after leaving Wednesday's win over the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi fouled a ball off his foot during the ninth inning and remained in the contest to finish the at-bat, but he did not retake the field for the bottom of the frame. The 28-year-old will have Thursday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery before potentially missing additional time.