MLB Player News

Cabrera will sit Friday against the Rays.

Reports from Thursday indicated that Cabrera would be limited to starting every other game for at least the next week while he manages lingering knee pain. The Tigers appear to be sticking to that plan so far. Cabrera's production has dipped this year, as his .268/.317/.332 line is good for a career-worst 85 wRC+, but he's due $32 million next season, so he has a strong incentive to hold off on retirement for one more year. Victor Reyes will be the designated hitter Friday.

Brantley (shoulder) said Wednesday he hasn't swung a bat since landing on the 10-day injured list June 28 and is without a timeline to resume doing so, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "I don't want to put a timetable on [swinging a bat] because then I don't know if it's pushing too hard or not pushing hard enough. It's literally day by day," Brantley said.

Brantley's lack of meaningful progress in his recovery from the injury may have influenced the Astros' decision to acquire Trey Mancini from the Orioles prior to Tuesday's trade deadline. The fact that Brantley hasn't yet been moved to the 60-day injured list offers some hope that he'll be back in action by the second half of August, but a clearer target date for his return won't be established until he begins to ramp up his baseball activities.

Ohtani (forearm) went 3-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs in Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Athletics.

After exiting late in Wednesday's 3-1 loss with a forearm cramp, Ohtani showed enough improvement overnight to fill his usual spot in the lineup for Thursday's series finale as the Angels' designated hitter. The two-way standout was responsible for two of the Angels' seven solo long balls on the day, as Los Angeles became the sixth team in MLB history to hit that many home runs and still lose. Ohtani, who is now up to 24 home runs on the season, looks like he'll be able to serve as the Angels' everyday designated hitter until his next turn on the mound comes up Tuesday in Oakland.

Cabrera will serve as the Tigers' designated hitter and No. 3 batter in Thursday's game against the Rays, but manager A.J. Hinch said the 39-year-old will start in every other game through the duration of the homestand while he manages lingering right knee pain, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Once the homestand concludes Aug. 11, Hinch said the Tigers' training and coaching staffs will meet with Cabrera to decide if he's ready to step back into an everyday role, or if he'll continue to require more frequent rest. Though Cabrera doesn't seem to be dealing with a major injury, it's clear the rigors of the long season is taking a toll on the future Hall of Famer, who is sitting on a career-worst .657 OPS for the campaign. To that end, Woodbery noted that Cabrera alluded to the possibility of retirement Thursday when he spoke to the media. Given that Cabrera is due $32 million in 2023 in the final season of his eight-year contract extension, the most likely outcome remains that he'll hold off on retiring for one more year.

Collins was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Collins spent over a month on the major-league roster but appeared in just four games and went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts. He'll head back to the minors with the Blue Jays activating their recent trade acquisitions.

Ohtani (forearm) will serve as the Angels' designated hitter and No. 2 batter in Thursday's game against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The Angels are facing a quick turnaround from Wednesday's 3-1 loss with Thursday's contest beginning at 4:07 p.m. ET, but Ohtani's inclusion in the lineup for the series finale implies that the forearm cramping he experiencing a night ago isn't a concern. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of Wednesday's contest, but the move looks to have been mostly out of an abundance of caution. Ohtani will take a .253/.349/.491 slash line to go with 22 home runs and 11 stolen bases into Thursday's contest.

Ohtani (forearm) said after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Athletics that he expects to serve as the Angels' designated hitter in Thursday's series finale versus Oakland, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani made his 18th start of the season on the mound Wednesday and dropped to 9-7 after he was charged with three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven in 5.2 innings. Though he didn't appear to suffer an injury during his time on the mound, the two-way player was lifted for a pinch hitter when his turn in the lineup came up in the bottom of the seventh. The Angels characterized his injury as a "mild cramp in his forearm," per Nevin, but the issue isn't considered serious, according to Sam Blum of The Athletic. Fantasy managers in leagues with daily lineup moves will likely still want to verify that Ohtani is in fact good to go when the Angels unveil their starting nine for Thursday's contest.

Ohtani (9-7) took the loss Wednesday against the A's after giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over 5.2 innings, and he was replaced by a pinch hitter during the seventh inning due to mild forearm cramps, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The 28-year-old had already been replaced on the mound when he exited, and it's unclear if the injury surfaced while pitching or hitting. Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a strikeout at the plate, and he's expected to be back in the lineup at designated hitter for Thursday's series finale versus Oakland, so it doesn't appear to be a serious injury.

Martinez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.

Though the Red Sox made Martinez available ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, the team didn't find an offer it liked and will keep the 34-year-old in the fold for the remainder of the campaign. Though Martinez should continue to play on a near-everyday basis, he'll get a breather Wednesday while the Red Sox conclude their series in Houston with a day game after a night game. Rafael Devers will step in as Boston's designated hitter while Martinez sits after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Tuesday's 2-1 win.

Buxton (undisclosed) is starting Wednesday against Detroit.

Buxton was on the bench for the last two games due to some apparent soreness, but he'll serve as the designated hitter and lead off Wednesday. Over his last five matchups, the 28-year-old has gone 5-for-18 with three home runs, a double, five runs, three RBI and a stolen base.