MLB Player News

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.

Belt is batting fifth in the order during Sunday's game against the Rockies, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt has spent the past month primarily hitting out of the three hole for the Giants, but he will find himself batting fifth for the first time this season Sunday. Manager Bruce Bochy hopes that the shift in the order will help jump-start Belt's ice-cold bat, as the 29-year-old is hitless in his previous 17 at-bats. Brandon Crawford will occupy the third spot in the order Sunday.

Vargas will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Indians, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

With Robbie Grossman hitting the bench for a second straight game, Vargas will enter the lineup for the sixth time in eight contests. Grossman had seemingly emerged as manager Paul Molitor's preferred option at designated hitter earlier this month, but Vargas' uptick in at-bats of late suggests that may no longer be the case. Grossman hasn't helped his cause by going 0-for-12 over his last three starts, but Vargas has started to slump a bit too after bashing out four of the Twins' franchise-record 28 hits in Tuesday's blowout win over the Mariners. Since that contest, Vargas has gone 1-for-12 with five strikeouts.

Pederson will start in center field and lead off Sunday against the Reds, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Both of the Dodgers' primary leadoff options in recent games, Chris Taylor and Chase Utley, will receive days off in the series finale, so Pederson will jump four spots in the order to set the table for Los Angeles. Over 27 at-bats as the Dodgers' No. 1 hitter this season, Pederson has recorded seven hits and has scored five runs.