MLB Player News

Smith (elbow) will take dry swings next week, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Smith underwent surgery April 16 to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. He's currently on the 60-day injured list and can return May 29 at the earliest.

Sheets went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 10-5 win over the Giants.

Sheets had gone 0-for-9 with a walk and three strikeouts over his previous five games. The 30-year-old ended the slump with his first multi-hit effort since April 15 against the Mariners. He's hitting .224 with a .708 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, nine doubles and two steals across 104 plate appearances. Sheets has seen the bulk of his playing time at first base this year, but Ty France's recent strong hitting could force more of a timeshare at that position. Sheets also competes with Miguel Andujar for playing time at designated hitter and in the corner outfield, so the former will need to get his bat right to avoid losing playing time.

Andujar went 3-for-5 with a triple, a double, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 10-5 win over the Giants.

Andujar saw an eight-game hitting streak end Monday, but he bounced back with his second three-hit effort of the season. While he wasn't able to complete a cycle, Andujar has shown some power with a pair of homers over his last six games. He's been pretty good overall this season, batting .322 with an .869 OPS, two homers, 10 RBI, nine runs scored, seven doubles, two triples and a stolen base over 25 contests. There should be room for Andujar in the lineup as long as his bat stays hot.

Bader (hamstring) went 1-for-3 in Triple-A Sacramento's 4-0 loss to Reno on Tuesday.

Bader, who began experiencing hamstring tightness less than a week before Opening Day, was placed on the 10-day injured list in mid-April due to a left hamstring strain. He made his first rehab appearance Tuesday and recorded a single before being lifted in the sixth inning. The veteran outfielder is eligible to be reinstated from the injured list, though he'll likely require additional time to ramp up depending on how his hamstring responds following Tuesday's outing. In the meantime, Drew Gilbert will likely continue to see increased playing time for San Francisco.

Laureano is not in the lineup Tuesday versus the Giants.

Laureano's struggles have continued into May, as he has started the first four games of the month 2-for-15 with six strikeouts. With the 31-year-old on the bench Tuesday, Nick Castellanos has the start in left field and is batting seventh.

Davis isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks

Davis will begin on the bench for a second consecutive game after going just 2-for-15 with a pair of home runs over his last four starts. Joey Bart will start behind the plate and bat eighth.

Harris (quad) will start in left field and bat fourth against the Mariners on Tuesday.

A quad injury kept Harris out of the lineup for each of Atlanta's last two games, though he was able to appear as a pinch hitter Monday. Now back starting in the outfield, he'll aim to continue a hot start that's seen him slash .318/.351/.551 with seven homers, 22 RBI and 13 runs scored through 33 games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Betts (oblique) is on track to face live pitching in a simulated game Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

If Betts experiences no setbacks with his strained right oblique during the upcoming workout, Roberts suggested that it could be the final step before the 33-year-old heads out on a rehab assignment. Because he's been on the shelf since April 5, Betts will likely need at least a couple of games in the minors to regain his timing at the plate. Once he's deemed ready to return from the 10-day injured list, Betts should settle back in as the Dodgers' everyday shortstop, resulting in Hyeseong Kim fading into more of a utility role.

Yelich (groin) is expected to progress to facing live pitching and running the bases early next week, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The veteran slugger continues working his way back from a strained left groin, and he remains on track to return in mid-to-late May. Yelich was off to a strong start to the season prior to the injury with a homer, three steals, 10 RBI, 10 runs and a .314/.375/.451 slash line in 15 games.

Bleday went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Cubs.

Bleday gave the Reds early lead with a solo blast in the third inning, his third home run since being called up a little over a week ago. He made a sixth consecutive start and third straight as the No. 2 batter. Bleday is 6-for-20 with four extra-base hits and five runs scored over seven games played.