MLB Player News

Stanton (shoulder) is close to facing live pitching and could soon begin a rehab assignment, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Stanton resumed baseball activities Thursday after being pulled from his rehab assignment May 21 with a calf strain. The 29-year-old played only one rehab game prior to suffering the new injury, so he'll still likely require a week or two in the minors to get back up to speed after the extended absence from the shoulder strain. Mid-June appears to be a realistic possibility for his return if all goes well.

Turner (hamstring) will sit for the second straight game Friday against the Phillies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Hamstring tightness kept Turner out of the lineup Thursday against the Mets, and he'll need at least one more day to rest. Max Muncy starts at third base, with Matt Beaty in the lineup at first.

Winker will sit Friday against lefty Patrick Corbin and the Nationals.

Winker started the Reds' last seven games, two of which came against lefties, but he'll get a breather in this one after hitting .333/.419/.444 over that stretch. Jose Peraza will get the start in left field.

Lewis, who went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, a walk and two runs in Double-A Arkansas' win over Northwest Arkansas on Thursday, is slashing .225/.327/.341 across 202 plate appearances this season.

The 23-year-old outfielder's line includes 13 extra-base hits (nine doubles, one triple, three home runs), 27 RBI and a career-high 12.9 percent walk rate, but his current 27.7 percent strikeout rate is also the second-highest figure of his pro career. The fact that this isn't Lewis' first exposure to Double-A arms puts more of a concerning spin on those whiffs, especially considering Lewis' 75.8 percent contact rate during his 37-game stint in 2018 was over eight percent better than his current 67.6 percent figure.

Choi entered Thursday's win over the Twins as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning after Tommy Pham exited with leg cramps and went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run.

It was that type of offensive night for the Rays as they racked up 14 runs overall. Pham's subsequent MRI came back clean, but Choi continues to see regular playing time at first base against right-handed pitching.

Belt started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Marlins.

Belt made his fifth start in the outfield, potentially opening up eligibility there in leagues with lower games-played thresholds. The streaky slugger could be heating up again, putting together a six-game hit streak with a double, a homer and a steal over that span.

Jimenez went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Thursday's 10-4 win over Cleveland.

Jimenez gave the White Sox an early lead in the second inning when he doubled home two men. The season remains a learning experience for the rookie, who is batting .185 (8-for-41) with four extra-base hits in the 11 games since he was activated off the injured list.

Soler went 1-for 4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Rangers.

Soler smacked a three-run shot off starter Mike Minor in the sixth inning to give the Royals the lead for good. The 27-year-old has been a solid source of power this year, which also comes with a high strikeout rate. He's batting .245/.296/.505 with 14 home runs, 39 RBI, 27 runs scored and 69 strikeouts through 56 games.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Phillies.

Ozuna took Jerad Eickhoff deep in the second inning to record his 16th home run of the season. He's been hitting the ball well of late; the homer was his second of the series in Philadelphia, and he's recorded at least one hit in eight of his last 10 starts. As a result, his average is back above .240 for the first time since May 12. In addition, Ozuna has regained his power stroke this season, posting a .537 slugging percentage and .296 ISO across 227 plate appearances.

Carpenter went 1-for-1 with a solo home run Thursday against the Phillies.

Carpenter appeared as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and delivered a solo blast. It was his eighth homer of the season and third in his past seven games. While his overall line of .218/.332/.391 across 232 plate appearances remains subpar, Carpenter has raised his OPS to .723 from .650 -- its lowest mark of the season -- since May 15. He'll look to flash more improvement during the team's weekend series against the Cubs.