MLB Player News

Brantley is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brantley will head to the bench for what appears to be a regular day off against left-hander Mike Minor following a string of six straight starts. The veteran outfielder has been on a tear over his last 15 games, slashing .387/.415/.758 with six homers and 13 RBI over that stretch. In his absence, Josh Reddick and George Springer are starting in the corner outfield spots, with Jake Marisnick getting the nod in center.

Canha (wrist) will begin a minor-league rehab stint with Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Canha took batting practice with no issues Wednesday and Thursday, clearing the way for his return to game action. The veteran outfielder will likely play in a handful of rehab games before hopefully rejoining the Athletics on their upcoming nine-game road trip, which begins Monday in Seattle.

Winker is dealing with a left quadriceps injury but is expected to return to the lineup Friday against the Giants, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

This explains why Winker is out of the lineup Thursday against right-hander Chris Bassitt. He sat out Monday and Wednesday as well, but those absences didn't really raise suspicions as the Reds faced lefties in those two games; Winker has made just three starts against left-handed pitching this season. The Reds seem confident that Winker won't need a stint on the injured list.

Belt is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

The Giants will keep three lefty bats (Belt, Joe Panik and Stephen Vogt) on the bench for the series finale with southpaw Kyle Freeland on the bump for the Rockies. Belt actually owns a respectable career 113 wRC+ versus southpaws, but he's been below 100 in every season since 2017. Tyler Austin will take his spot at first base and bat second.

Winker remains out of the lineup Thursday against the Athletics.

Winker was out of the lineup for two of the Reds' previous three games, with both absences coming against left-handed starters. But this absence against a right-hander in Chris Bassitt -- with the designated hitter available in an AL park -- should raise some eyebrows. There has been no mention of an injury to this point.

Turner went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.

What power outage? Turner hit only one home run through his first 34 games this year but now has four long balls in the last two, following up Tuesday's three-homer barrage with a 404-foot shot to left field off Jacob Webb in the eighth inning Wednesday. The performance has added 101 points to Turner's SLG, and he now boasts a .299/.385/.448 slash line on the year.

Canha (wrist) took batting practice Wednesday and could start a rehab assignment over the weekend, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Canha also expects to take batting practice Thursday. If both sessions go off without setbacks, the veteran would likely play in a handful of minor-league games before rejoining the team on a nine-game road trip that begins Monday in Seattle.

Brantley went 2-for-3 with two home runs, one walk and three RBI in a 9-0 win over the Royals on Wednesday.

Brantley took Jorge Lopez deep for a two-run shot in the third inning and hit another solo home run in the fourth inning. He has been on an absolute tear this season with a .340/.386/.603 slash line through 36 games.

Stanton (shoulder) remains limited to soft toss and tee work, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Stanton could be cleared to hit off a machine soon if he experiences no setbacks in the coming days. The veteran slugger is taking baby steps in his recovery from a shoulder injury that he suffered while rehabbing a biceps strain. An updated timetable for Stanton's return likely won't emerge until he's further along in his rehab.

Winker is not starting Wednesday against lefty Brett Anderson and the Athletics.

Winker has started against just three of the seven lefties the Reds have faced this season. He has a career .558 OPS against lefties compared to a .919 mark against righties. Jose Peraza gets the start in left field.