MLB Player News

Cespedes was back in left field Monday, batting third, and went 1-for-4 in a 10-6 loss to the Dodgers.

The Mets are taking it easy with Cespedes to try and avoid any recurrence of the lower-body issues that have plagued him this season, sitting him down Sunday after he'd started three games in a row. Expect him to continue getting frequent days off for the time being.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run in Monday's loss to the Marlins.

His first-inning blast, Harper's 18th homer of the year, staked the Nats to an early lead which Tanner Roark quickly squandered. The 24-year-old superstar is working on a 12-game hitting streak during which he has a .320/.404/.560 slash line with three homers, eight RBI and eight runs.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and three RBI during Monday's win over Milwaukee.

In 22 games since moving down the lineup into the six-hole, McCutchen has exploded for seven homers, 20 RBI, 19 runs and a .378/.453/.720 slash line. His batting average has climbed 55 points during that stretch (it's now at .260 for the season), and he's now on track to post another solid cross-category fantasy campaign.

Turner was a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, four runs and two runs scored Monday night against the Mets.

Much of his damage was done on a two-run homer off Mets starter Zack Wheeler in the second inning of the contest. Turner continues to be one of the top third basemen in all of baseball, as this marks the second game in a row in which he's homered, while his batting average and OPS are now up to .399 and 1.027, respectively. His .434 BABIP is highly unsustainable, but Turner's spot in the heart of the Dodgers' batting order will keep him relevant in all formats even when he comes back to earth a bit.

Brantley was placed on the 10-day disabled list Monday with a sprained right ankle.

Brantley didn't play in any of the Indians' last five games while he was away from the team following the birth of his child, but the time off wasn't enough to remedy the soreness he was experiencing in his ankle, which he first sprained earlier in the month in Kansas City. It's not believed to be a significant setback for the outfielder, who could rejoin the Tribe when first eligible Sunday if the soreness subsides as expected. In the meantime, Brantley's absence will likely open up some extra at-bats for the likes of Austin Jackson and Daniel Robertson.

Brantley is not in the lineup Monday against the Orioles.

Although Brantley is expected to be activated from the paternity list ahead of Monday's contest, the Indians will instead keep him out of action for one more day. The veteran outfielder missed the past five games to attend to the birth of his child, but he was playing well before then, batting .311 with nine RBI in the prior 16 games. Austin Jackson will man left field in his stead, but look for Brantley to return to action Tuesday.

Winker was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

With Zack Cozart (quadriceps) and Bronson Arroyo (shoulder) both landing on the disabled list, the top prospect will make a return trip to the big leagues to help fill the void. Winker still hasn't shown much power in the minor leagues, compiling just two home runs in 64 games this season, but his .317 batting average and 33:32 K:BB in that span give him some appeal, especially in the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. It may be tough to get regular at-bats with Scott Schebler, Adam Duvall and Billy Hamilton occupying the outfield spots at the moment, but Winker could be a fixture in the lineup for the next three games with the Reds having the DH spot available for their series in Tampa Bay this week.

Brantley is scheduled to rejoin the Indians on Monday after missing the team's weekend series following the birth of his child Thursday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

In Brantley's absence, Jose Ramirez hit from the third spot in the batting order in each game of the weekend series. However, comments made by manager Terry Francona suggest that won't remain the case, as the switch-hitting Ramirez offers more protection to Edwin Encarnacion in the cleanup spot.

Turner went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, a base hit and a walk in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Reds.

Turner's homers have been scarcer than most expected, but when health has prevailed, he's offset the power outage by hitting .385 on the season, which will put him in the mix for his first career batting title once he picks up enough at-bats to qualify. The third baseman's hit streak now sits at 13 games, three shy of the career-best mark he established in April.

Ozuna finished 1-for-3 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Braves.

With the Marlins trailing 4-2 in the eighth inning, Ozuna tied the ballgame with a 395-foot shot to left center. Miami went on to lose 5-4, but it was another productive day for Ozuna, who is now slashing .324/.391/.583 in 289 plate appearances this season.