MLB Player News

Blackmon (knee) will pick up his $18 million player option for the 2023 season, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.

Blackmon is 36 and was worth 0.2 fWAR in 135 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury, so picking up the option was an easy call. He could retire following the 2023 season.

Turner (lower leg) isn't starting Friday against Colorado.

Turner's leg continues to bother him as Friday marks the third game in a row he's missed. Max Muncy will fill in at third base and Trayce Thompson will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter.

Winker isn't starting Friday against the Athletics, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Winker will begin Friday's game in the dugout with southpaw Ken Waldichuk set to start for Oakland. While he rests, Sam Haggerty will start in left field and bat eighth.

O'Keefe's contract was selected from Triple-A Tacoma on Friday.

O'Keefe was a Rule 5 pick out of the Cardinals organization in 2019 and will join a major-league roster for the first time to provide catching depth while Curt Casali is on the paternity list. It seems unlikely that O'Keefe will see significant playing time since Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens are also in the fold, and it's possible that O'Keefe heads back to the minors once Casali rejoins the Mariners.

McCutchen isn't in the lineup Friday against Miami.

McCutchen is getting a day off after he went 2-for-8 with a walk and four strikeouts over the last two games. Keston Hiura will take over as the designated hitter and bat sixth.

Carpenter (foot) took batting practice on the field and hit in the cage Friday, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Carpenter has been working on weight-bearing activities on his fractured foot recently and hasn't had any issues. It's still possible that the 36-year-old rejoins the Yankees for their upcoming series against the Rangers to close out the regular season, but manager Aaron Boone also hinted Friday that Carpenter could ultimately head to Somerset to take live at-bats ahead of postseason play. Regardless of whether Carpenter is back in action during the final series of the regular season, it seems likely that he'll be in the mix for a postseason return.

Collins isn't starting Friday against the Cardinals.

After being held hitless in his last 20 at-bats, Collins will retreat to the bench for the second straight game. Ben Gamel will take his place at first base and bat sixth.

Alvarez (ankle) is starting Friday against the Rays.

Alvarez sat out Wednesday's series finale against the Diamondbacks due to a left ankle injury, but he'll serve as the designated hitter and bat third a day later. The 25-year-old is riding a four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-11 with two RBI, a run, four walks and four strikeouts.

Vogelbach will sit Friday against Atlanta.

With lefty Max Fried on the mound for Atlanta, it's no surprise to see Vogelbach hit the bench. Francisco Alvarez will make his MLB debut in the designated hitter spot.

Ruf was placed on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain Friday, retroactive to Sept. 27.

Ruf has had limited playing time over the last few weeks, but he's apparently been dealing with a neck injury that has kept him off the field recently. Although the move was backdated, the 36-year-old will be forced to miss the rest of the regular season. It's not yet clear whether he'll be healthy in time for the postseason.