MLB Player News

Cespedes (quad) is back in the Mets' lineup Friday against the Phillies, source reports.

Cespedes' sore quad prevented him from starting Wednesday, but he's already back in action. For the season, he's hitting a respectable (though disappointing by his standards) .248/.313/.457, with seven homers and three steals.

Pederson started in center field and batted second Thursday, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in a loss to the Reds.

The Dodgers have been decimated by injuries in the early going, but even with Yasiel Puig returning to the lineup this week, Pederson continued his string of starts in center against right-handed starters. Manager Dave Roberts stated that Enrique Hernandez would take over center field duties, with Chris Taylor filling in for Corey Seager (elbow) at short, but his lineup cards over the past couple of weeks indicate that Pederson is on the strong side of a platoon. Seager has already been ruled out for the season, so this window of playing time could stay open for a while, making the 26-year-old a decent flier for power and counting stats.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 in a win over the Padres on Thursday.

Ozuna continues to make serviceable offensive contributions, but he's unquestionably underperforming in terms of overall impact as compared to prior seasons. The slugger has only seven extra-base hits (five doubles, two home runs) over his first 145 plate appearances, while his slugging percentage is currently a career-low .333 thanks to a jaw-droppingly anemic .079 ISO, easily a career-worst figure as well. Contact issues appear to be playing a part in his struggles, as Ozuna's .330 BABIP and career-high 47.1 percent hard contact rate are offset by a rise of more than four points in his strikeout rate to 25.5 percent. Moreover, he's also pulling the ball at the highest rate (44.1 percent) since his rookie 2013 campaign in Miami.

Alvarez hasn't played in a game for Double-A Corpus Christi since last weekend after getting struck in the hand by a pitch. He's expected to be out for a week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez is hitting .299/.374/.542 with six home runs and 26 RBI through 27 games this season. This is the 20-year-old's first taste of Double-A ball, and though he was strictly a first-base propspect heading into the year, he's spent a majority of his time with the Hooks in left field, learning a new position. Expect to see him back in action soon.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of RBI in Thursday's win against the Twins.

Ohtani's homer, his fifth of the season, was a seventh-inning solo shot off Trevor Hildenberger that stretched the Angels' lead to three. He also had a third-inning RBI double, his fourth double of the season. The two-way phenom has perhaps impressed more with the bat than the arm so far this season, hitting .354/.400/.677 in 70 plate appearances. Among players who have hit that plate appearance threshold, Ohtani's slugging percentage ranks fourth, as does his 189 wRC+. His .400 BABIP suggests that his numbers are due to come down a bit, but with the 13th-highest exit velocity in the league and above-average speed, he fits the profile of the sort of player who could run a relatively high BABIP.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's loss to the Orioles.

Soler's 2018 resurgence with another quality outing Thursday. He's hitting .333 in 45 at-bats as the No. 2 hitter in the Royals' order and his .328 season average ranks ninth in the American League. He and the Royals will continue their road trip Friday in Cleveland.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI Thursday against the Yankees.

Martinez blasted the game-winning home run off Dellin Betances in the eighth inning, his ninth home run of the season. His power is slowly picking up as he now has four home runs in his past eight games while also adding two doubles in the span. He is also riding an 11 game-hitting streak which has him hitting .348/.395/.623 through 138 at-bats this season.

Turner (wrist) is expected to be sent on a rehab assignment over the weekend, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The Dodgers are getting close to having two established veterans back with the club as Turner and Logan Forsythe (shoulder) are ready for rehab assignments. Turner has been sidelined since spring training due to a broken wrist, so his return should bring a spark to the Dodgers' lineup. Given the length of his absence, Turner will likely need multiple rehab games before being activated. Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer will continue to split time at third base in the meantime.

Buxton (toe) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Thursday and is in the starting lineup against the Angels.

The 24-year-old originally landed on the disabled list back on April 18 with migraines, but suffered a hairline fracture in his toe while on a minor-league rehab assignment which ultimately extended his absence. Buxton was able to do a range of running drills earlier in the week with no issues, so the Twins opted to activate him without sending him back out on another rehab assignment. He'll immediately reclaim his role as the team's primary center fielder. Buxton, who was hitting just .195/.233/.244 before landing on the shelf, will face right-hander Garrett Richards in his first game back.

Cespedes sat out of Wednesday's game due to a sore right quad, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The slugging outfielder missed time earlier in the week due to the same kind of injury, so it seems like things haven't completely healed on that front. With Thursday's off-day, Cespedes hopes to only miss one game of action, though he should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday's matchup with the Phillies. Brandon Nimmo should see an increased role if Cespedes is unable to play Friday.