MLB Player News

Ohtani (forearm) could start a throwing program before the end of the regular season, the Associated Press reports.

When Ohtani was diagnosed with a strain of the flexor pronator mass in his right forearm in early August, he was given a recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks. The upper end of that estimate has since passed, suggesting that the 26-year-old could be ready to start building up his arm again. The Angels long ago committed to keeping Ohtani off the mound for the remainder of this season, so any throwing program he begins is likely to be approached with caution and with an eye toward 2021. Ohtani has stated a desire to return to the mound next season, though the organization has yet to reveal their plans for the two-way star.

Soler (oblique) won't return during the Royals' weekend series against the Brewers, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Soler remains without a timetable to return as manager Mike Matheny said that he's still feeling his oblique injury a bit. He made progress late in the week as he looked good after taking live at-bats Thursday, but he needs some more time prior to returning to game action.

Martinez went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts and a stolen base in a 6-5 loss to the Yankees on Friday.

Martinez had a night to forget at the plate, striking out four times in one game for the second time this season. The 33-year-old marginally helped his case by unexpectedly stealing third in extra innings but otherwise was lifeless offensively. With Friday's effort, Martinez's slash line has dipped to .199/.285/.358 as he has struggled all year to manufacture runs.

Ohtani isn't in Friday's lineup against the Rangers.

Ohtani will sit for a sixth consecutive game with left-hander Wes Benjamin serving as the primary pitcher Friday. Albert Pujols will take over as the designated hitter once again.

Buxton will lead off for the first time since 2016 Friday against the Cubs, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Buxton had exclusively hit in the bottom four spots in the order so far this season. He certainly has the speed of a traditional leadoff man, though his .290 career on-base percentage (and his .272 mark this season) make him an odd fit for the role. The move up the order makes some sense given his recent performance, however, as he's hitting .349/.349/.884 over his last 13 games.

Stanton is instituting "wholesale changes" to his pregame and midgame routines in an effort to avoid injury, Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reports.

Stanton was sidelined by a right calf strain during spring training and recently missed over a month of the regular season due to a strained left hamstring. The ability to stay on the field has hampered Stanton's tenure with the Yankees -- he played in only 18 games last season due to injuries to his biceps and knee. While the slugger was hesitant to offer specifics about the changes he has instituted to his routine, he did offer some insight about his approach. "Pregame, in-game all needs adjustments and I will have those," he said. "I've had those. We've got a new warmup, a new midgame routine. If certain things happen in the game, and I'm DH-ing and I don't run the bases for two at-bats, that's an hour and a half of no movement. So you've got to do more in between at-bats and stuff like that, which is obvious and what has been done but you've got to switch it up."

Soler (oblique) looked good after taking live at-bats Thursday and will hit again Friday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Soler has already served the required 10 days on the injured list with a right oblique strain. While he's not quite ready to return, it does appear that he's still on track to play at least a few games in the final week of the season.

Stanton went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Thursday's 10-7 win over the Blue Jays.

The homer was only his fourth of the season and his first since Aug. 8, although Stanton spent most of the time in between on the injured list. The 30-year-old is slashing .320/.460/.640 through only 16 games this season, but if he stays healthy he's capable of powering the Yankees into the postseason.

Buxton went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.

Buxton left the yard in the second and fifth innings, but it wasn't enough offense to lift his team to victory. The center fielder has put together a modest four-game hitting streak, smacking four home runs to go with five RBI over that stretch. He'll look to stay hot at the dish in Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field.

Ohtani is out of the lineup Thursday against the Diamondback, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 26-year-old finds himself on the bench for the fifth straight game as the Angels face another left-hander in Alex Young. Lefty Wes Benjamin is scheduled to start Friday for Texas, so Ohtani could be held out once again. Albert Pujols is batting fifth as the designated hitter again Thursday.