MLB Player News

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.

Ohtani is out of Tuesday's lineup against the White Sox.

It sounds like the Angels are still going to try to get Ohtani starts primarily against righties, as he had an ugly at-bat in Monday's game against a southpaw, so he takes a seat with Carlos Rodon starting for Chicago. Albert Pujols gets the start at designated hitter, hitting fifth.

Harper was scratched from the Nationals' lineup for undisclosed reasons, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

It's unclear whether or not Harper is dealing with an injury. Michael Taylor will start in center field in his place.

Buxton (wrist) progressed to batting practice Tuesday with Triple-A Rochester, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

He hit off the tee and in the batting cages, which represents a significant step in his recovery. Buxton remains without a timetable to be activated from the minor-league DL. Once healthy, he will probably have to show an improved approach at the plate in order to rejoin the big-league club before September.

Cespedes (heel) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Padres.

Michael Conforto will remain the starter in left field. Cespedes' status is currently up in the air while the Mets await a second opinion on his injured heels. He's expected to land on the disabled list, per Mike Puma of the New York Post, and could be headed for season-ending surgery.

Winker is not starting Tuesday against the Cardinals.

Winker will take a seat as the Reds take on the left-handed Austin Gomber. Phillip Ervin and Adam Duvall will start in the outfield corners.

Cespedes (heel) is likely to land on the disabled list, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Cespedes stated Friday that he's dealing with calcification in both heels which will eventually require surgery. It's not clear whether that surgery will happen soon. The Mets are awaiting a second opinion but the current expectation is that he'll miss some time. Outcomes ranging from a relatively quick return to the lineup to an 8-to-10 month absence remain on the table at this point.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in a loss to the Reds on Monday.

Although the Cardinals' offense was largely stuck in a funk Monday, Carpenter is seemingly immune from any offensive malaise these days. He laced his 31st double of the season off starter Luis Castillo for one of his two hits, extending his hitting streak to eight games in the process. Carpenter's prolific July has seen him slash .364/.481/.939 over 81 plate appearances thus far.

Choi went 3-for-4 in a win over the Yankees on Monday.

The 27-year-old has now hit safely in three straight, a stretch that includes a solo home run and two RBI overall. Choi is hitting a solid .269 over the seven games he's played since being called up from Triple-A Durham, a modest sample that's nevertheless encouraging from a fantasy standpoint. Choi has only sat twice since arriving, so there's also optimism that he'll continue seeing enough playing time to be useful.

Pederson led off and went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and a pair of runs scored in Monday's 7-6 win over the Phillies.

Pederson returned to the starting lineup after sitting against a southpaw Sunday, responding with his 14th homer of the season. The 26-year-old's strong play this year (.256/.342/.529) keeps him in the starting lineup against righties, which should be enough playing time to help most fantasy owners in the power department.