MLB Player News

Turner received a preventative lubricating injection in his knee and should return to action later in the week, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The injection doesn't appear to be serious, as he had the same thing done earlier in spring training and was able to return after a few days of rest. He'll likely be back playing by the end of the week and shouldn't be hindered by the knee as spring training progresses.

Cespedes (hip) will bat third in the order and play left field in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.

Cespedes experienced tightness in his hip while advancing from first to third base in Sunday's game and had been held out of the lineup for the subsequent two days. It appears the time off was all Cespedes needed to heal up, as the fact that he's back in the field rather than serving as the team's DH indicates the Mets don't have much concern about his mobility. Though he's no longer a factor on the basepaths like he was as a rookie with the Athletics, Cespedes has hit 30-plus homers and batted at least .280 in the past two seasons, making him a high-floor selection in the early rounds of fantasy drafts.

Carpenter (lower back), who swung off a tee Monday, will miss at least another week with his lower back tightness, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. "We're still a ways out," Matheny said. "Yesterday was his first day off a tee, so there's a slow progress there."

The Cardinals' projected starting first baseman has already been taking part in defensive drills but still must be able to swing without restrictions before being reinserted into game action. Carpenter's earliest likely return projects to be March 16 versus the Twins, with the team wanting to ensure that his current ailment doesn't morph into an oblique strain, an injury that sidelined him for a month in the 2016 season.

Martinez is focused on improving his defense in 2017 after a down year in the field last season, MLB.com reports.

While defense doesn't immediately impact Martinez's fantasy value, it could affect his value in free agency next offseason. His defensive metrics all went down in 2016, but if he looks good in the field and at the plate in 2017, he could be in for a significant payday. Confidence also counts for something, so if Martinez is excelling in the field, it could carry over to his at-bats.

Dickerson (back) will go through most of Tuesday's practice, MLB.com's Bill Center reports.

This will be the left fielder's biggest test yet in his return from a sore back. If everything goes well, he could be back in Cactus League action in a week or so. Dickerson may open the year as a left-handed bat off the bench, but could earn a more significant role if any of the three young outfielders ahead of him struggle over the next couple months.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, his first of the spring, in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Giving new meaning to the term "walk-off homer," Stanton crushed a line drive down the left field line in his final at-bat of the day before leaving camp to join Team USA for the WBC. As is always the case with the 27-year-old slugger, Stanton's fantasy value this season will depend on his ability to stay off the DL, not his prodigious power.

Winker followed a three-hit game Saturday with two more hits Sunday in a spring training win over the Angels.

All five hits over the weekend were singles, which is representative of what happened at Triple-A Louisville last season. He has a good hit tool that hasn't translated into hitting for power. Winker also has one walk against six strikeouts so far in spring play. He's still a good bet to begin the season back at Louisville.

Carpenter (lower back) is set to take swings off a tee in Jupiter on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Carpenter will not be swinging at full strength, but the session will serve the all-important purposes of testing his trunk rotation and unearthing any potential oblique issues. The Cardinals' first baseman has already announced he is forgoing his previously planned participation in the World Baseball Classic due to the injury.

Vogelbach went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a run in Sunday's 5-4 Cactus League loss to the A's.

The first baseman brought home Guillermo Heredia with a two-bagger to deep center in the third, knotting the score at 2-2 at the time. It was both the second double and RBI of the spring for the 24-year-old, who's slashing .350/.381/.450 over 20 at-bats this spring. Vogelbach, who is projected to serve as the left-handed side of a platoon at first with veteran Danny Valencia in the coming season, looks significantly improved at the plate this spring after generating an .083/.154/.083 line over 13 plate appearances with the big league club in 2016.

Brantley (shoulder) is scheduled to face Josh Tomlin in live batting practice Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley continues to move through spring without an estimated timetable for his return, as the Indians are trying to keep him from feeling pressured to rush his rehab. He'll face live pitching for the first time this spring, and if all goes well, Brantley will be one step closer to making his Cactus League debut.