Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (cramps) has returned to the starting lineup on Monday to play the opening game of a four-game set against the division-rival Atlanta Braves. Winker left Saturday's game early and was kept out of the lineup on Sunday due to cramping. However, this injury did not seem serious and the 30-year-old is already back in the lineup. Winker will serve as the designated hitter this afternoon and bat in the six-hole, which opens up left field for Eddie Rosario, who will bat cleanup. Winker has looked much better through his first 49 games as a National compared to the previous two seasons. He currently holds a .228/.345/.395 slash line with six home runs and could be a value play in DFS as he faces right-hander Charlie Morton, who currently has a 3.35 ERA.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (cramps) is out of the team's starting lineup on Sunday versus the visiting Seattle Mariners. Manager Dave Martinez said that Winker cramped up while running the bases in Saturday's win over Seattle, and now he'll receive a day off on Sunday. It's unclear exactly where Winker's cramping occurred, but fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now and check back to see if he's back in the lineup on Monday for the series opener on Memorial Day against the Braves in Atlanta. The 30-year-old veteran left-handed hitter has picked things up of late at the plate, but he's still hitting only .230 (37-for-161) on the season with six home runs, 21 RBI, six stolen bases and 23 runs scored. Ildemaro Vargas is in left field on Sunday and is batting fifth against Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker cramped up while running the bases in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. He went 2-for-3 before being replaced by Victor Robles in the seventh inning. The Nationals didn't go into specifics as to what was ailing Winker. According to Nationals manager Davey Martinez, Winker is fine and should be able to play on Sunday. The 30-year-old has logged multi-hit efforts in two of his last five games. Overall, the veteran is slashing .230/.349/.398 with six home runs, 21 RBI, 23 runs, and six stolen bases over 48 games in 2024. If Winker is available for Sunday's game, he is mainly a fantasy option in deep-league formats.

Washington Nationals DH and outfielder Jesse Winker (back) is not in the starting lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. In Winker's absence, the Nationals will be starting Nick Senzel at DH while he hits sixth. Winker is dealing with a back injury and has struggled at the plate this season, as he's slashing .235/.350/.736 with four home runs and 18 RBI. But in the last 15 games, he's slashing .167/.274/.315 with two home runs and nine RBI. The 30-year-old is a boom-or-bust fantasy option, as he can hit home runs, but he does strike out a ton and has struggled to put the ball in play of late. Winker is currently just 18% rostered in Yahoo leagues and 13% rostered in ESPN fantasy leagues.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran outfielder was forced to exit early during Sunday's game due to back spasms. Winker is reportedly feeling better on Monday but will sit out at least one more game. Winker holds a .143/.247/.247 slash line over his last 21 games so he hasn't been much of a help to fantasy managers anyway. Jared Young, Eddie Rosario, and Victor Robles will cover the outfield on Monday.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) left the game early in the fifth inning on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox due to back spasms. Winker felt it before the contest and it got worse after he dove for a line drive in the outfield early in the game. Before leaving, Winker was hitless in his two at-bats and was replaced in left field by Ildemaro Vargas. The 30-year-old veteran left-handed hitter is now slashing .235/.350/.386 on the year with four home runs, 18 RBI, four stolen bases and 19 runs scored in 132 at-bats. At the very least, it's unlikely that Winker will be in action on Monday for the series opener against the Chicago White Sox. If the Nationals don't elect to call up top prospect James Wood from the minors, more playing time will go to Victor Robles if Winker needs a trip to the injured list.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (illness) is back in the starting lineup on Thursday, playing left field and batting sixth against the Pittsburgh Pirates and veteran left-hander Martin Perez. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter is clearly feeling better, but fantasy managers in DFS contests will probably want to avoid the lefty-lefty matchup. In six career at-bats against Perez, Winker is hitting .167 with a .334 OPS. However, he's gone 5-for-11 in the early going in his first four contests with the Nationals before getting sick earlier this week. In Winker's career against southpaws in 460 plate appearances, he's batting .204/.320/.337 with just 13 home runs, so the odds are against him having a big game on Thursday.

Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (illness) got sick in the first inning of Monday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates and was replaced by Eddie Rosario in the eventual 8-4 loss before he even recorded a plate appearance. Rosario was initially on the bench to start the game with a left-hander on the mound for the Bucs, but he ended up going 0-for-4 with a strikeout to drop his season average to .200. Winker should avoid the injured list and could be back in Washington's starting lineup in a day or two. The 30-year-old veteran is set for a platoon role in the Nats' outfield to begin the 2024 season against right-handed pitchers. He swung the bat well in the first three games over the weekend, going 5-for-11 (.455) with a double, RBI, two walks and three strikeouts in 14 plate appearances.

The Washington Nationals signed free-agent outfielder Jesse Winker to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training on Monday, according to a source. Winker will give the Nationals an experienced left-handed bat for their outfield mix this spring after he slashed a disappointing .199/.320/.247 with just one home runs, 23 RBI and 16 runs scored in 61 games played with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023. Injuries played a part, but the 30-year-old veteran wasn't much better the previous year with the Seattle Mariners, when he went 100-for-456 (.219) with 14 long balls, 53 RBI and 51 runs scored in a career-high 136 games. Between the outfield and designated hitter, Winker could see decent playing time for the rebuilding Nats, but aside from some modest power, he won't have a terrible amount of fantasy upside in NL-only affairs.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker (back, quadriceps) started a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Wisconsin on Aug. 15 and was moved to Triple-A Nashville on Aug. 22, but his potential comeback hit a snag when he suffered a right-quadriceps injury in a game on Sept. 2, according to manager Craig Counsell. Winker's back spasms started on July 24 and felt his back "grab" the next night while running pregame sprints. The 30-year-old is on the injured list for the second time this year, and he's hitting just .199 with a .247 slugging percentage in 61 games in his first year with Milwaukee. Winker should be on the waiver wire in all mixed fantasy leagues.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker (back) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Wisconsin next week. Winker has been well off the fantasy radar this year in Milwaukee, as he's hit just .199/.320/.247 with one home run, five doubles, 23 RBI and 16 runs scored in 197 plate appearances over 61 games for the Brew Crew. He's been out since late July due to back spasms, but he appears to be nearing a return to action in the majors. When he is ready to return, the 29-year-old should remain on waiver wires in fantasy leagues as a part-time player in Milwaukee. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback on his rehab assignment, Winker could be back with the Brewers by next weekend.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker (back) on the injured list Wednesday, according to MLB.com. It's the 29-year-old's second trip to the IL this season, as he's played just 61 games and is slashing an ugly .199/.320/.247 with a single home run. In a corresponding move, the club promoted infielder Abraham Toro to the big leagues. The 26-year-old has played just six games this season, but over his career owns a .210/.279/.350 slash line with 27 bombs and 10 steals across 268 contests. Toro will likely be a bench option for Milwaukee, and fantasy managers can leave him on the waiver wire.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker (neck) has been activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday. The 29-year-old suffered a neck strain back in late May but has been activated and is starting on Saturday against the Pirates. Winker struggled before hitting the injured list with a .204/.315/.231 batting line to go along with zero home runs and 13 RBI over 108 at-bats. He performed well on his rehab assignment, however. Starting pitcher Wade Miley (lat) was also activated on Saturday while relief pitcher Tyson Miller was optioned to Triple-A and infielder Jon Singleton was designated for assignment.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker (neck) went 1-for-4 on Thursday with Triple-A Nashville, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, as he continues to rehab from a cervical strain that he sustained in late May. Over seven rehab games, the 29-year-old is batting .350 with three homers and just three strikeouts. There's a chance Winker will return this weekend for the team's series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and hopefully, he can keep his hot streak going. Over just 39 games this year, he's struggled mightily at the dish, slashing .204/.315/.231 with no home runs, 11 runs, and 13 RBI. With that kind of play, Winker's dropable in shallower leagues, but with his return looming, fantasy managers in deeper formats may want to give him another chance.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker (neck) is almost ready for a rehab assignment, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday with Triple-A Nashville, according to MLB.com. The slugger hasn't been in game action since May 27 after suffering a cervical strain and hitting the 10-day injured list on May 30. Before the ailment, Winker was struggling mightily at the plate, slashing .204/.315/.231 with no home runs across 39 games. He now owns a .216 batting average and .661 OPS since the start of 2022, and fantasy managers with limited roster spots may want to let him loose.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed outfielder Jesse Winker (neck) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 28) on Tuesday with a cervical strain and recalled infielder Abraham Toro from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Winker, who has had a brutal year to this point in his first year in Milwaukee, figures to miss extensive time with this injury. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has limped to a .204 average (22-for-108) with three doubles, no home runs, 13 RBI, 11 runs scored, 15 walks and 31 strikeouts in 127 trips to the plate over 39 games. Given how bad he's been this year, Winker has probably already been dropped in the majority of mixed fantasy leagues. Toro should operate as corner infield depth while he's with the Brew Crew.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker (neck) has been scratched with neck discomfort. Winker was in the original lineup, serving as the DH and batting sixth, against the San Francisco Giants but was scratched late. It'll now be Darin Ruf serving as the Brewers' DH and batting eighth against San Francisco starter Alex Cobb.

The 2023 MLB season is underway and as always, injuries are beginning to pile up. Today we'll look at injured hitters including Yordan Alvarez, Michael Harris II, Amed Rosario, Jose Siri and Josh Donaldson. Baseball season is a marathon and not a race, so finding replacements for players out of action is key for fantasy baseball success.For those not yet familiar, this is our weekly edition of fantasy baseball injury updates for hitters as of April 19, 2023. We'll be covering all positions throughout the week, so stay tuned. Some players on this list impact fantasy baseball more than others, but with leagues of all shapes and sizes, you never know which guys will force fantasy managers to search waiver wires in hopes of finding adequate replacements.To keep close tabs on all of the news across the MLB, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy baseball player news page, and download the free ... [More]

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The 29-year-old missed five games with an illness and, one day after returning, missed the next two with an oblique problem. Winker is batting .300 with five runs and nine RBI across nine games and will look to go deep for the first time in a Brewers uniform. The former Cincinnati Red has been solid with the bat throughout his career and has the potential to provide fantasy managers with production in four categories.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) is not in the lineup for his team's Monday matchup against the Seattle Mariners. Winker was a late scratch on Sunday and was not quite ready to return to action on Monday, although he is reportedly close. He was able to work out on-field before the game and is potentially available as a pinch-hitter according to manager Craig Counsell. Winker has a strong shot at being in the lineup for Tuesday.