MLB Player News

Manager Scott Servais remains "optimistic" that Lewis (knee) will return to action at some point this season, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Servais' remarks Wednesday strike a more optimistic tone than those of general manager Jerry Dipoto from less than a week ago, when the latter conceded his fear that Lewis, who has been diagnosed with a meniscus tear, was in for a long-term absence. In reality, both Servais and Dipoto could ultimately be correct, as Lewis does appear set to miss several weeks at minimum but still has nearly four months to work with in terns of a possible regular-season return.

Mercedes isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Mercedes went 1-for-7 with a run, a walk and a strikeout across his last two games. Jake Lamb will serve as the designated hitter and bat second.

Cabrera went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's win over Seattle.

Cabrera has hit safely in four straight games and in five of his last six contests overall, recording one home run, five RBI and five runs in that span. That said, Cabrera is barely hitting .200 on the season, so while the recent signs are encouraging, he's still in the midst of a career-worst year at the plate.

Martinez (wrist) went 1-for-4 with a single in Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Astros.

Martinez was back in the lineup after missing three games due to a wrist injury. He returned to serve as the designated hitter but was dropped to the cleanup spot for the first time in 2021.

Brantley went 1-for-4 with double with a run scored in Tuesday's 7-1 win over Boston.

Brantley was activated off the injured list for Tuesday's game and batted sixth, which may be a temporary assignment, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Manager Dusty Baker wants to monitor Brantley's hamstrings and promised to move him up in the order. He'd been the primary two-hole hitter prior to his injury, but Baker may not want to disrupt the surging Carlos Correa (16-for-40, five HR), who has settled in behind leadoff batter Jose Altuve. The two hole is an ideal spot for an Astros hitter, as it affords protection via the formidable presences of Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a double, an additional run scored and a walk in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Royals.

Ohtani slammed a two-run shot off Kris Bubic in the first inning to put the Angels up early. His 17th long ball of the season Tuesday lands Ohtani in second on the home-run leaderboard in the American League. In addition, he leads the Angels in RBI (44), runs (40) and stolen bases (nine). He has displayed a premium amount of combined power and speed, ranking third in all of baseball in home runs plus steals. The 26-year-old is slashing .261/.346/.606 in 231 plate appearances.

Solak went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double Tuesday against the Giants.

Solak made his lone hit of the contest count by delivering a two-RBI double in the sixth inning. Entering the game, he had failed to drive in a run in each of his last seven contests and gone only 4-for-23 at the plate in that span. Despite the slump, Solak still has a 100 wRC+ with eight homers, 26 RBI and 36 runs scored across 259 plate appearances for the season.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, another RBI and a walk during Tuesday's win over the Red Sox.

Alvarez extended Houston's lead by mashing a 420-footer against Matt Andriese in the fourth inning. He tacked on another RBI after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second. It was the eighth long ball of the year for the 23-year-old, who has mainly seen time as the designated hitter for the Astros, though his two outfield starts lead to some hope he could eventually qualify elsewhere. Overall, he sports a solid slash line of .295/.342/.508 across 48 games.

Manager Joe Maddon confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for Friday's game against Arizona, but he doesn't plan on having the two-way star start in the outfield during the remainder of the series, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani will hit as the pitcher in the NL park Friday, but based on Maddon's comments, he'll be limited to pinch-hit duty Saturday and Sunday. Considering that Ohtani has logged some innings in the outfield, it's possible he could see some time out there off the bench over the weekend.

Choi (groin) is feeling much better and has a chance to return from the injured list when first eligible Sunday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi hit the injured list for the second time this season when he strained his left groin in early June. The issue doesn't appear to be a particularly serious one, however, so his return is on the horizon.