MLB Player News

Manager Brad Ausmus said after Tuesday's win over the Giants that he expects Cabrera (hip) to return to the lineup Wednesday, Evan Woodberg of MLive.com reports.

Cabrera exited in the seventh inning with left hip tightness, the same injury that had resulted in his stay on the 10-day disabled list in April. The 34-year-old said three weeks ago that he was still fighting a hip flexor injury, and although the issue presented problems again Tuesday, the Tigers relayed after the contest that he was only pulled for precautionary purposes. If Cabrera is able to run the bases and field his position Wednesday during pregame workouts without incident, he should be back in the starting nine, but the recurring nature of his injury seems to be taking its toll on his production. Cabrera is slashing .263/.357/.451 over 294 plate appearances this season, with his 113 wRC+ representing his worst mark since his rookie campaign in 2003.

Cespedes (hamstring) is expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Nationals, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Cespedes' injury was never deemed serious, and while he didn't appear in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals, he was apparently available as a pinch hitter if needed. He'll likely test his hamstring out prior to Wednesday's contest before making a decision on whether to play, but the Mets seem confident their star slugger will be back for the series finale.

Harper went 3-for-4 with a walk, a pair of RBI and three runs against the Mets on Tuesday.

The Nats, playing at home in the nation's capital, provided an Independence Day beatdown to the Mets in this one, and Harper was right in the middle of it, as usual. After a down year in 2016, he's gotten right back to looking like his megastar self from the 2015 campaign.

Cabrera exited Tuesday's game early due to left hip tightness.

Cabrera was 1-for-3 before being replaced by Andrew Romine in the seventh inning. It's unclear how serious the injury is at this point, but this could be another tough break for the 34-year-old, who has been nagged by multiple injuries already this season.

Carpenter will bat leadoff and start at second base Tuesday against the Marlins.

Just as Mike Matheny did Monday, he will use Carpenter at the keystone to make room for Luke Voit at first base. It's only start No. 2 for Carpenter at second base on the year, but if Matheny wants to continue getting Voit regular playing time, Carpenter could see just enough reps there to retain eligibility heading into 2018. The eventual return of Kolten Wong (triceps) could complicate things, but Carpenter has plenty of time left to hit the five-game minimum required by many leagues, and could realistically hit 10 if Voit stays hot.

Cespedes (hamstring) won't be included in the Mets' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals, but will be available off the bench for a pinch-hit appearance, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cespedes suffered a hamstring cramp during the final play of the Nationals' walk-off win Monday, and while the issue isn't considered serious, the quick turnaround for the Fourth of July contest, which starts at 11:05 a.m. EST, likely influenced manager Terry Collins' decision to hold the star outfielder out of the lineup. The fact that the Mets expect Cespedes to be available in a pinch-hitting capacity suggests that he could be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday, though with an off day looming Thursday, the weekend series in St. Louis may be a more likely target for him to return to the outfield. Curtis Granderson (hip), who hit a pinch-hit home run Monday, could replace Cespedes in the starting nine Tuesday if Granderson checks out fine ahead of the contest.

Ozuna went 1-for-5 with a double and three RBI during Monday's loss to St. Louis.

Ozuna is turning in a monster fantasy campaign with an elite .314/.373/.571 slash line, 22 home runs, 62 RBI and 49 runs. After playing in the shadows of Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich the past few years, it's Ozuna that's been the best and most consistent asset in the Miami outfield in 2017.

Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after Monday's game, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Vargas needed just 161 plate appearances to hit seven home runs, but he wasn't providing anything besides the power. Thanks in large part to a 7:45 BB:K, Vargas owned a brutal .230 average and .267 OBP. With Ehire Adrianza ready to come off the disabled list, Varags and his limited skill set became expendable.

Cespedes dealt with a hamstring cramp near the end of Monday's game against the Nationals, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Cespedes tried to make a play on Ryan Raburn's walkoff single to left field and was slow getting up. It doesn't sound like the injury is severe, but Carig additionally reports that Cespedes "almost certainly" won't play in Tuesday's game. The Mets have an off day Thursday before beginning their final series of the first half Friday against the Cardinals, so Cespedes may only miss a game or two.

Carpenter will start at second base and lead off Monday against the Marlins.

In an effort to make room in the lineup for first baseman Luke Voit, manager Mike Matheny will give Carpenter a start at the keystone for the first time all season. It's also only the second start that Carpenter has received at a position other than first base; he previously manned third base in a April 27 game. Since Carpenter retained second-base eligibility in most leagues heading into this season, his start at the position Monday won't mean much unless he ends up seeing enough playing time there in future contests to guarantee eligibility for 2018.