MLB Player News

Cespedes is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Marlins, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Despite being on an absolute tear, Cespedes will get his first rest day of the season Friday. He's homered five times this week and has added a pair of doubles as well. Michael Conforto, who is swinging a hot bat in his own right, will take over in left and bat fifth in place of Cespedes against Edinson Volquez. Look for Cespedes to draw back into the lineup Saturday.

Brantley is not in the lineup Friday against the Tigers.

Brantley has been a staple in the three-hole this season, but with left-hander Daniel Norris taking the mound for Detroit, manager Terry Francona decided it was a good time for the outfielder's second night off of the season. Brandon Guyer will take over in left field and bat third in his stead.

Turner (quad) returned to the starting lineup Thursday, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks in a 4-0 loss to the Cubs.

The 32-year-old looked healthy in his return to the diamond, getting on base three times on a day where the Dodgers were shut out by Brett Anderson and the Cubs bullpen. Thanks to an off day Tuesday, the third baseman ended up missing just one contest with a minor quadriceps injury. With a .355/.429/.516 slash line through nine games, Turner should continue to be a driving force behind the Dodgers' offense this season.

Winker is not in Friday's lineup against the Brewers.

He is presumably available off the bench after being promoted from Triple-A earlier in the day. Winker has one of the best hit tools among prospects, and has the best approach among players who have yet to play in the majors, as he boasts a 63:65 K:BB in 486 plate appearances at Triple-A. He is the presumed everyday right fielder going forward, but will apparently be eased into action. Winker is not a "must-add" caliber of prospect in shallower leagues, but he should be scooped up in deeper leagues, as he has a high floor and could tap into some sneaky power playing half his games in Great American Ball Park.

Collins, 22, is 8-for-24 (.333) with one home run and two RBI through seven games for High-A Winston-Salem.

Collins has shown superb plate discipline to begin the 2017 campaign, racking up just as many walks as strikeouts (six). While scouts question his ability to stay at catcher, there is little question about his hitting prowess, most notably his power potential and advanced approach at the dish.

Winker was recalled by the Reds on Friday and could be set to make his major-league debut this weekend against the Brewers.

Winker has picked up right where he left off at Triple-A Louisville this season, hitting .323 with five RBI after slashing .303/.397/.384 in the 2016 campaign. The 23-year-old is considered one of the Reds' most valuable prospects, known for his low strikeout rate, high OBP and ability to find the gaps. His power-hitting capacity leaves much to be desired, but Winker was bothered by a wrist injury last season and was not in a favorable hitting environment at Triple-A, so the move to Great American Ball Park could lead to more power than some might expect. Winker should serve as the Reds' primary right fielder going forward.

Ozuna went 2-for-6 with two walks and a grand slam in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Mets.

He cleared the bases in his first at-bat by pulverizing a Robert Gsellman fastball, sending it over the left-field wall with a 110 mph exit velocity, and the Mets mostly refused to pitch to the 26-year-old for the next 15 innings. Ozuna is off to a blistering start to 2017, slashing .389/.452/.722 through nine games with four homers and an MLB-leading 16 RBI.

Cespedes went 2-for-6 with two walks and a pair of solo home runs in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Marlins.

That's now five homers in three games for Cespedes, with two doubles and nine RBI thrown in for good measure. Big things were expected from him this year after he signed a four-year, $110 million contract in the offseason to remain with the Mets, and with a .275/.375/.800 line through 10 games Cespedes is delivering.

Brantley went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the White Sox.

It had been 581 days since the embattled outfielder hit his last MLB home run in September of 2015. Brantley extended his RBI streak to four games Thursday while making it his sixth game in eight starts this year with a run driven in. It should be noted that the 29-year-old also struck out twice against the South Siders, raising Brantley's strikeout rate to 31 percent through 29 at-bats.

For the second straight night, Goins entered as a late-game defensive replacement at third base, but did not receive an at-bat, in Thursday's contest against Baltimore.

The biggest news of the night is that the Jays' regular third baseman, Josh Donaldson, exited the affair early after reaggrevating his right calf injury. Donaldson has already missed time this season due to the calf issue, and now he faces a real possibility of being placed on the DL. Under that circumstance, Goins would move up the depth chart. And although Darwin Barney is likely to fill in for Donaldson on most nights, Goins would become the club's super-utility man and would certainly see an uptick in playing time under that circumstance.