MLB Player News

Winker will be on the bench Tuesday against Atlanta.

Winker sits for the first time in over a month. It's no surprise to see his day off come against a southpaw (Drew Smyly), as he owns a 53 wRC+ against lefties this season compared to a 182 wRC+ against righties, but there's been no indication he's about to slip into a platoon role. Aristides Aquino will start in left field in his absence.

Manager Dave Roberts doesn't expect Turner (groin) to play before Friday's series opener in New York, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The Dodgers' skipper did say Turner is feeling better than he has since leaving Sunday's game, which is encouraging. More details about the third baseman's status and a potential return to the lineup should surface as the week progresses.

Turner (groin) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Dave Roberts speculated Sunday that Turner may miss the beginning of the series in Philadelphia, and that is indeed the case. It's unclear whether the 36-year-old will be available off the bench Tuesday. Chris Taylor starts at third base and bats seventh.

Choi is not starting Tuesday against Boston and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi is hitless in his 16 August at-bats, so he'll get a chance to reset with the lefty on the mound Tuesday. Jordan Luplow will move to the infield to man first base and bat fifth.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Brantley (head) would start in left field Tuesday against the Rockies, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Houston isn't expected to release its lineup until a few hours prior to Tuesday's 8:10 p.m. ET first pitch, but the starting nine will include Brantley, who was removed from the Astros' last game Sunday against the Twins after taking a hit to the head during a collision on the bases with Minnesota's Andrelton Simmons. Brantley apparently passed all concussion tests, with the Astros later terming his removal as precautionary. The team's plan to deploy Brantley in the outfield rather than as a designated hitter supports the notion that there's no concern about his health.

Rooker went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Monday in the Twins' 11-1 loss to the White Sox.

The Twins continue to deploy Rooker as their No. 2 hitter, but his poor results of late could prompt manager Rocco Baldelli to push the rookie down in the batting order. Through eight games in August, Rooker has gone 4-for-34 while drawing only two walks against 11 strikeouts. His batting average now sits at .168 for the season.

Double-A Springfield placed Baker on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday.

Springfield is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak among its roster, as six players were placed on the injured list Tuesday. The affiliate hasn't announced whether Baker's placement on the IL is the result of him testing positive for the coronavirus, or if he was merely identified as a close contact of an infected person or persons. Over 78 games with Springfield this season, Baker is slashing .247/.327/.545 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI.

Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs and five RBI in Monday's 11-1 win over the Twins.

Jimenez posted a near-identical line to his previous game when he slugged a pair of homers and drove in five in Sunday's win over the Cubs. He became the fastest White Sox hitter to reach 50 homers (187 games). The 24-year-old outfielder, who didn't make his season debut until late July due to a pectoral injury and then injured his groin immediately upon his return, needed several at-bats to get his timing down against MLB pitching. Jimenez is now riding a five-game hit streak, during which he's gone 9-for-18 with four home runs and four doubles. With the timing of his swing locked down, Jimenez should be the dangerous power threat he showed in 2019, when he launched 31 bombs in 122 games.

Buxton (hand) fielded flyballs, hit and ran the bases prior to Monday's game against the White Sox, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Buxton has been out with a broken hand since late June. He still doesn't have a clear timetable for his return, and the Twins have little incentive to rush him given their place in the standings, but he's clearly trending in the right direction. The length of his absence means he'll likely need a rehab assignment before returning to the roster.

Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday after the Dodgers' 8-2 win over the Angels that Turner (groin) will be "down for a few days, and then we'll re-evaluate," Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers are off Monday, but Roberts' comments would seem to hint that he isn't banking on Turner returning to the lineup for Tuesday's series opener in Philadelphia, after the third baseman exited early Sunday with left groin discomfort. Turner is still being viewed as day-to-day, so for the time being, Los Angeles is optimistic that he'll avoid the injured list.