MLB Player News

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Carpenter's home run -- his third of the year -- came in the ninth inning off White Sox closer Joakim Soria with the Cardinals trailing by one. It was Carpenter's first home run since April 10, and it was only his fourth multi-hit game this season. The 32-year-old is sporting an ugly .170 average, but is keeping his on-base percentage above .300 thanks to 19 walks on the year. Carpenter is a career .274 hitter, so the hits figure to come with a little patience.

Cespedes went 3-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Braves.

Cespedes was responsible for the only run the Mets were able to muster off Mike Soroka, who was making his major-league debut. It appears that he is suffering no ill-effects from a thumb injury that was expected to cause him to miss time. However, he didn't miss a game and continued to swing a hot bat, hitting his seventh home run of the season and extending his hitting streak to seven games.

Blackmon went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run Tuesday against the Cubs.

Blackmon hit his 10th home run of the season to remain among the league leaders in the category. After hitting 24 of his 37 home runs at home last season, this was already his ninth on the road through just 64 at-bats. His production may not slow as the Rockies have played just 12 of their 31 games at home to this point.

Brantley went 1-for-6 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers.

With the Indians down to their final out and faced with an 0-2 count, Brantley slugged a Keone Kela curveball into the right field bleachers for a game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning. The Indians went on to lose the game in extras, but fantasy owners will be pleased with Brantley's RBI production. Despite going just 1-for-6 Tuesday, the outfielder is currently hitting .329 with three homers and 14 RBI on the year.

Harper went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, two runs and a walk Tuesday against the Pirates.

Harper, who assumed leadoff duties Tuesday, had been in a bit of a power drought recently, with his last extra-base hit coming over two weeks ago on April 16. He's also seen his batting average plummet 65 points during that cold stretch to a pedestrian .250 mark. Despite his relative lack of hits, the star slugger still owns a truly elite .459 on-base percentage as one of the most feared hitters in the majors.

Turner (wrist) won't begin a rehab assignment over the coming weekend, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner's condition has steadily improved, as he recently reached the point that he was hitting off a tee. The Dodgers will be cautious with Turner and hold off on sending him on a rehab assignment until they're certain that he's ready. While it's not out of the question for Turner to return around the middle of May, he'll need to play in a few minor-league games before joining the big club.

Buxton (toe) was unable to run Tuesday, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton has been unable to run over the past couple of days after getting some light running in over the weekend. He's participating in limited offensive drills in order to keep his swing sharp, but it still remains to be seen when he'll be able to return to game action. Max Kepler should continue to serve as the Twins' primary center fielder until Buxton is healthy.

Winker is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

Winker's absence from the lineup is baffling, as the Reds are facing a right-hander in Chase Anderson and Winker is batting .305 with a team-best .414 on-base percentage this season (yes, even better than Joey Votto's mark). Unfortunately, it seems interim manager Jim Riggleman will continue with this outfield rotation for the time being instead of seeing what Winker can do with everyday playing time.

Ohtani (ankle) is batting fifth and serving as the designated hitter Tuesday against the Orioles.

As expected, Ohtani is back in the lineup for the first time since injuring his ankle against the Yankees on Friday. The 23-year-old, who is hitting an impressive .341/.383/.682 with four homers through 12 games this season, will face righty Alex Cobb in his return to the lineup. Barring any setbacks, Ohtani figures to take the mound during the team's three-game series against the Mariners this weekend.

Miller is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Tigers.

Miller is hitting below the Mendoza Line in his limited opportunities against left-handers this season, so he'll retreat to the bench for a night off with southpaw Matt Boyd taking the hill for Detroit. C.J. Cron will move to first base to replace him, allowing Rob Refsnyder to log a start as the designated hitter.