MLB Player News

Pederson remains on the bench for Game 2 of the NLCS against Milwaukee on Saturday.

Pederson sits again as the Brewers start another lefty, Wade Miley. Matt Kemp will start in left field. Milwaukee is likely to continue their strategy of using several pitchers in short bursts, so Pederson could have the chance to pinch hit early and remain in the game depending on how things shake out.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Game 1 of the NLCS against Milwaukee on Friday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

As anticipated, Pederson will retreat to a spot on the bench with left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the hill for the Brewers. In his absence, Chris Taylor will start in left field and bat atop the Dodgers' order.

Rooker is sidelined from Arizona Fall League action while recovering from a sprained ankle, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

Per Mayo, the Twins are taking a "wait-and-see approach" to Rooker's setback. The first baseman played in 130 games with Double-A Chattanooga during the regular season, slashing .254/.333/.465 with 22 home runs, 79 RBI and six stolen bases.

McCutchen is not in the lineup for Game 4 of the ALDS against the Red Sox on Tuesday.

McCutchen will give way to lefty-hitting Brett Gardner in left field for Tuesday's potentially decisive game with right-hander Rick Porcello toeing the rubber for the Red Sox. The former NL MVP is just 2-for-14 through the first three games of the series. He'll be available off the bench if needed.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Sunday's NLDS Game 3 matchup with Atlanta, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

With southpaw Sean Newcomb taking the hill for the Braves, Pederson will head to the bench to avoid a lefty-on-lefty matchup. Chris Taylor will replace him in left field for the evening.

Blackmon went 2-for-3 with a walk in a loss to the Dodgers on Monday.

Blackmon collected a pair of singles and a walk but was stranded in scoring position twice. The center fielder had a spectacular finish to the regular season, carrying a .349/.410/.624 slash line in the month of September. The 32-year-old also had a solid campaign overall, hitting .289 with 29 home runs, 12 stolen bases and a .212 ISO.

Ohtani underwent successful Tommy John surgery Monday, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

As expected, the procedure was done by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who was apparently encouraged with how things went. Ohtani won't pitch in 2019 while recovering from the surgery, though he's expected to be able to hit. The 24-year-old two-way superstar did nothing but impress during his first year in the majors, hitting .285/.361/.564 with 22 homers, 61 RBI and 10 steals, while posting a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 through 10 starts (51.2 innings) prior to suffering the elbow injury.

Blackmon went 4-for-5, drove in three runs and scored three runs while hitting for the cycle in the Rockies' 12-0 win over the Nationals on Sunday.

Blackmon closed out his regular season in style, becoming the first MLB player ever to hit for the cycle in a season finale. The 32-year-old wasn't as dominant this season as he was in last year's MVP-caliber campaign, but he still posted terrific fantasy numbers, with a .289/.356/.501 slash line to go along with 29 homers, 12 stolen bases and a National League-leading 119 runs scored.

Martinez was 2-for-3 with two runs and a three-run home run in Sunday's 10-2 win over the Yankees.

September actually ended up as Martinez's worst statistical month of the season, but he still posted a .297 average and .841 OPS. The 31-year-old was one of the best hitters in baseball all season, totaling 43 home runs and 130 RBI with a .330/.402/.629 slash line.

Cespedes will undergo a second surgery on his injured heel Oct. 23, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The first surgery took place in early August, and as expected, the Cuban slugger will complete the second surgery a couple months afterward. Cespedes thinks he could return to baseball activities four months after the upcoming procedure, which would put him on track to do so in late February. However, he doesn't expect to be able to run at that point, so it's unlikely that he'll be ready for the start of spring training as things look now. Look for more updates on his status as he progresses in his rehab program following surgery.