MLB Player News

Ohtani (blister) is listed as the Angels' probable starter for Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani completed a 30-pitch bullpen session with no issues Saturday and won't require another session on the mound before rejoining the starting rotation. The 26-year-old made his first start of the season April 4, but he's been unable to pitch over the past couple weeks due to the blister. The right-hander figures to face some limitations Tuesday given it will be two weeks between his first and second starts of the year.

Buxton and the Twins won't resume playing until at least Tuesday after Monday's series opener in Oakland was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within the Minnesota organization, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

After already having the final two games of their weekend series with the Angels postponed, the Twins will remain off the schedule for a third straight day Monday while more contact tracing continues to be completed. The Twins and Athletics are expected to begin their series with a doubleheader Tuesday, but MLB has yet to announce a formal decision.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that Alvarez (COVID-19 injured list) has been cleared to resume individual workouts, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez and the other four Astros placed on the COVID-19 IL on Wednesday all appear to have finished their respective quarantine periods, but Baker didn't specify when any of the players might be ready to rejoin the team. Since Baker previously mentioned that the five players in question are unlikely to be available for the team's ongoing road trip, Alvarez's earliest possible return date would most likely be Thursday, when the Astros host the Angels.

Torrens is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros.

Torrens started Saturday and went 0-for-3, and he'll head to the bench Sunday for the third time in the past four games. Tom Murphy receives another start behind the plate for Seattle.

Brantley went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Mariners.

Brantley scored the game's lone run in the fourth inning, coming in on a single by Taylor Jones. He's been dropped from second to third in the batting order since Houston placed several regulars, including Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez, on the COVID-19 protocols list. With much of the team's offensive firepower unavailable, Brantley's bat is needed more than ever.

Canha went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base and three total runs scored Saturday in a win over Detroit.

Canha accounted for one of Oakland's three homers off Detroit starter Casey Mize with a solo shot to left field in the second inning. The long ball was Canha's third this season, tied for most on the team. He is slashing .268/.414/.500 with five RBI and two stolen bases.

Manager Joe Maddon said Ohtani (blister) could start as early as Tuesday against the Rangers without needing another bullpen session, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 26-year-old completed a 30-pitch bullpen session off the main mound at Angel Stadium on Saturday with no issues, which could be his final tune-up before making his return to a game mound. Ohtani hasn't pitched in a game since his season debut on the mound April 4 due to the blister, so he's unlikely to be cleared immediately for a full workload. He's serving as the designated hitter again Saturday in the meantime.

Buxton (hamstring) is starting Saturday's game against the Angels, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The 27-year-old was diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain Friday after the injury surfaced earlier in the week, but he'll return to the lineup for Saturday's contest. Buxton is 15-for-32 with five homers, five doubles, nine RBI, one stolen base and a nine-game hit streak to begin the season.

Ohtani threw about 30 pitches off the main mound at Angel Stadium on Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani's pitch count crept up during Saturday's side session as he continues to recover from a blistered right middle finger. It's not yet clear when the right-hander will make his return to the mound in a game, but he'll serve as the designated hitter and bat second once again in Saturday's matchup against the Twins if the game is played.

Cabrera (biceps) won't return during the Tigers' upcoming series against the Pirates, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera isn't expected to face a particularly long absence, and manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday that the 37-year-old has been taking groundballs and hitting in the cage in recent days. He's expected to progress to full batting practice next week, but Cabrera won't return to game action until Friday at the earliest.