MLB Player News

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.

Stanton is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Stanton was originally set to bat cleanup as designated hitter per usual, but the Yankees made a late change to replace him with Miguel Andujar. Thankfully it's not an injury situation, as the team would just like to get Stanton a full day off since he has played in 158 games this season. The 28-year-old will close the regular season with a .266/.343/.509 slash line with 38 home runs, 100 RBI and 211 strikeouts in 617 at-bats.

Pederson is not in the lineup Sunday against the Giants, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Following the usual trend, Pederson will start on the bench with a lefty tossing for the opposition. Barring a pinch-hit appearance or a potential Game 163, the outfielder will finish with career bests in batting average (.248) and slugging percentage (.522). Chris Taylor will replace him in left field Sunday.

Ozuna is not in the lineup Sunday against the Cubs.

Ozuna started every game since Sept. 2, and he produced a .906 OPS in that span. However, with the Cardinals getting eliminated from playoff contention Saturday, he'll finally get a day off. Ozuna will finish the season with a .758 OPS to go with 23 homers, 88 RBI and 69 runs scored. Tyler O'Neill will get a start in left field to replace him.

Pederson went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Giants.

Pederson reached the 25-homer mark for the third time in his career. The slugger has been an excellent source of pop with a career-best .522 slugging percentage this season. Saturday was likely Pederson's last start of the regular season with a lefty slated to start for the Giants on Sunday.

Winker (shoulder) will spend the offseason rehabbing his shoulder at the Reds' spring training facility in Arizona, rather than returning home to Florida, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Winker is on target to be ready for Opening Day 2019, even though he won't be cleared to begin hitting again until Jan. 1. "I just think Arizona is going to be the right spot for me," Winker said on Friday. "I'll be working with our guys there. I just want to take this offseason to get my shoulder healthy. As much as I like being around my family and being in Orlando, Florida, I think this is my most important offseason yet. It's getting my shoulder right and going into next season fully healthy. It's something I look forward to being, completely healthy."

Choi (ear/head) is unlikely to return to the field against the Blue Jays this weekend, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi suffered the ear laceration and head injury -- although he did avoid a concussion -- in Tuesday's game against the Yankees, which is now likely to wind up as his final appearance of the season. The 27-year-old will end the season with a .269/.370/.506 slash line with eight home runs in 160 at-bats with the Rays.

Stanton went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI double and a single as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 8-5 on Saturday.

Serving as the designated hitter, Stanton reached the the seats with his 38th homer, and over his last 13 games he's 15-for-52 with five home runs. Stanton holds a .266/.343/.509 slash line with 34 doubles, 100 RBI and 102 runs this year.

Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a key RBI as the Cardinals kept their playoff hopes alive in a 2-1 victory over the Cubs on Saturday.

Carpenter scored in the fourth inning and pushed the Cardinals in front with a sixth-inning single off Cole Hamels. The 32-year-old has been struggling in September with a .169 average and just one home run. Nevertheless, Carpenter holds a .258/.376/.524 line on the season and has hit a career-high 36 home runs.

Choi (ear/head) remains out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Toronto, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi wasn't expected to require a lengthy absence after avoiding a concussion following a home-plate collision with Gary Sanchez on Tuesday, but he now finds himself on the bench for the fourth straight game. Austin Meadows will be the designated hitter Saturday.