MLB Player News

Buxton (wrist) is expected to take batting practice again Wednesday and could be activated by Thursday for Triple-A Rochester, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton hit the shelf July 14 due to a strained left wrist, but he's on the brink of a return. The 24-year-old outfielder took batting practice Tuesday without issue, so depending on how Wednesday's session goes, he could come off the disabled list as soon as Thursday. After being shipped to the minors, Buxton has struggled to a .232/.303/.377 batting line through 18 games for the Red Wings.

Harper (illness) will man center field and bat third against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Harper was left out of Tuesday's lineup due to a stomach bug, though he was able to enter the game and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout during the extra-inning loss. He will not miss any additional time and should be fully operational for the series finale.

Cespedes will undergo season-ending surgery on both heels, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Assistant general manager John Ricco said the outfielder's recovery time will be 8-to-10 months, though it's a very real possibility that he will require even more time to recover. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay. In addition, it will be completed in two separate procedures 2-to-3 months apart as one foot will be done before the other. Cespedes recently went in for a second opinion on this issue and received consensus feedback that he couldn't avoid surgery. Looking ahead to next year, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see Cespedes remain on the shelf until the All-Star break, further dampening his value as an injury-plagued 32-year-old outfielder.

Choi is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The move to the bench ends a streak of five consecutive starts for Choi, who has seemingly encroached on C.J. Cron's role as the club's primary designated hitter. Choi has demonstrated solid power and on-base skills while splitting time between the majors and Triple-A this season and could be in store for at least semi-regular work while he's up with the big club.

Winker (shoulder) is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Cardinals, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Winker has been day-to-day with shoulder soreness, and he'll miss his second straight game. Adam Duvall will draw the start in left field with Winker out.

Pederson went 4-for-7 with a run scored, an RBI and two doubles in Tuesday's 16-inning loss to the Phillies.

Pederson mustered four of the Dodgers' 11 hits. He started July 5-for-30, but is now 11-for-25 with five extra-base hits over his last seven games with a plate appearance.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 loss at Baltimore.

The performance brings Martinez's MLB-leading home run total 31, and his 85 RBI also rank first by a considerable margin. The 30-year-old is showing no ill effects of the upper-body soreness that kept him out of Saturday's contest after he crashed into the outfield wall Friday. Martinez has a .323/.387/.644 slash line in 368 at-bats this season.

Cespedes (heel) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, Tim Britton of The Athletic New York reports.

The team is still working through a second opinion on the possibility of surgery, which would end his season. At this point, it's looking pretty unlikely that Cespedes provides much, if any, fantasy value over the rest of the season. The move clears a roster spot for Jeff McNeil, who was promoted from Triple-A.

Harper was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the Brewers with a stomach bug, but may be available off the bench, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

Fortunately it was just a minor ailment that caused him to be a late scratch. He was replaced in the lineup by Michael Taylor, and may make an appearance as a pinch hitter.

Winker aggravated a shoulder injury Monday, Justin Williams of The Athletic Cincinnati reports.

The injury explains Winker's absence from Tuesday's lineup. He reportedly picked it up in the ninth inning of Monday's game against the Cardinals when he hit the ground while running the bases. The Reds believe the injury to be nothing worse than soreness and don't expect him to miss significant time.