MLB Player News

Pederson (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City and could return to the Dodgers by Tuesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson was not cleared to swing a bat as of one week ago, but he has progressed over the last few days and is ready to set out on a rehab assignment. According to Gurnick, it could be a quick tuneup of a rehab assignment with Tuesday being the targeted return date. Once Pederson returns, he'll add a powerful left-handed bat to a lineup that was middling through the first half of the season.

Goins (forearm) will compete in his first rehab game Thursday with Triple-A Buffalo.

Goins is on track to be activated when first eligible on July 17 after being placed on the 15-day disabled list with forearm tightness at the beginning of this month. The 28-year-old second baseman has played in 58 games for the Blue Jays this year, hitting .176/.216/.308 with three home runs and 12 RBI.

Brantley (shoulder) went 1-for-2 during Monday's rehab contest at Triple-A Columbus, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Brantley said that his shoulder felt good after the game and will he likely compete in a couple more rehab games before returning to the Indians in the near future. He took batting practice Wednesday with Columbus and could return to the club before Cleveland begins their series with Baltimore on July 22.

Torrens was called up to Low-A Charlston on Tuesday, Lohud Yankees Blog reports.

Torrens was recently activated off the disabled list after spending time out with a shoulder injury. The 20-year-old has played 12 games for Staten Island in the New York-Penn League, hitting .311/.360/.400 with five RBI over 45 at-bats.

Jimenez was 2-3 with a home run and four RBI during the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday.

Sunday marked a great ending to a fantastic first half for Jimenez, who slashed .332/.372/.527 with Single-A South Bend. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Cubs challenge the 19-year-old by sending him to High-A or even Double-A before the season's end. Jimenez has grown as a player in nearly every category in each of his first three seasons in the minors, and it looks like he's only scratching the surface of his potential as an impact player at the big league level.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's loss to the Cubs.

The homer was his second in as many games and 14th of the season, and McCutchen closed out the first half with an impressive .314/.375/.543 line through nine July games. If he can stay healthy after the All-Star break then he still has time to put up some big numbers and justify his preseason ADP.

Vargas went 1-for-2 with a solo homer and three walks in Sunday's 15-5 victory over the Rangers.

The 25-year-old continued his hot streak since being called up from Triple-A, reaching safely for the sixth time in six games. Vargas was a constant presence on the basepaths Sunday and is now 8-for-17 with five doubles, three homers, four RBI, nine runs and six walks in his 2016 major league tenure.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run shot, his 20th home run of the season, in Sunday's win over the Reds.

His bat has suddenly come alive heading into the All-Star break and Stanton now has a seven-game hitting streak going that includes five homers and 10 RBI. Don't be surprised if he steals the show during the Home Run Derby.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Phillies.

The Rockies' dynamic leadoff man heads into the All-Star break with a six-game hitting streak, and also having hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. Blackmon has yet to homer in the new month, but is contributing in virtually every other category. He's currently hitting .341 in July following Sunday's production, with two doubles, three runs and four stolen bases.

Cespedes (quadriceps) is unsure if he'll be ready to play Friday's game following the All-Star break, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Even though his quad is feeling better, Cespedes's status for Friday's game is still uncertain. If the slugger misses more time, he'll be replaced in the outfield by Alejandro De Aza.