MLB Player News
-
Michael Brantley LF | HOU
Astros' Michael Brantley: Hobbled by quad
Brantley did not play Tuesday due to a quadriceps injury, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Brantley has been hobbled since he stepped on the toe of Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly last week, but Tuesday's game was the first he's missed because of it. Houston manager Dusty Baker said the quad bothered Brantley the last couple of days and described him as day-to-day. Baker may avoid using the outfielder Wednesday as well. Kyle Tucker replaced him in left field Tuesday.
-
Eloy Jimenez DH | TOR
White Sox's Eloy Jimenez: Crushes third homer
Jimenez went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Brewers.
His blast to near straightaway center field in the sixth inning off Brandon Woodruff got the White Sox on the board. Jimenez is off to a flying start to 2020, hitting .333 (11-for-33) through nine games with three homers and eight RBI.
-
Franmil Reyes DH | WAS
Indians' Franmil Reyes: Connects for first home run
Reyes went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Reds.
He has been seeing a lot of soft stuff from opposing pitchers lately, but Reyes got a 94.9-mph sinker from Nate Jones and did not miss. It was his first homer of the year and put Cleveland up for good. There was some talk of Reyes potentially playing the outfield more than he did with the team last year, but Reyes has made just one appearance in the outfield so far (nine starts as the DH).
-
Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Unlikely to pitch again in 2020
Ohtani (forearm) isn't expected to pitch again this season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The 25-year-old suffered a Grade 1-2 strain of the flexor pronator mass in his right forearm over the weekend, and manager Joe Maddon said, "I don't anticipate him pitching at all this year." Ohtani won't begin a throwing progression for at least 4-to-6 weeks, but he's still expected to serve as the team's primary designated hitter. However, he remains out of the lineup Tuesday as he continues to be evaluated, per Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times.
-
Michael Brantley LF | HOU
Astros' Michael Brantley: Not starting Tuesday
Brantley isn't in the lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.
After tallying three hits in Sunday's win against the Angels, Brantley will play a bench role for the second time in the past three games. Kyle Tucker will shift to left field with Abraham Toro starting as the designated hitter, batting seventh.
-
Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Swipes first bag
Stanton went 0-for-2 with a walk, run scored, hit-by-pitch and stolen base in a victory over the Phillies on Monday.
Stanton isn't known for his speed on the basepaths, but he has registered as many as 13 stolen bases in a season in the majors (in 2014). While it's probably a stretch to expect the slugger to become a sudden source of steals, he did recently report losing 20 pounds since last season, and the theft Monday is a strong indication that the calf issue that dogged Stanton during spring training is long behind him.
-
Daniel Vogelbach DH | TOR
Mariners' Daniel Vogelbach: On base twice in loss
Vogelbach went 0-for-2 with two walks in a loss to the Athletics on Monday.
It says plenty about what type of night it was when a two-walk tally ranks as one of a team's most productive performances, but Vogelbach's two instances on the basepaths made him one of only three Mariners to reach safely on multiple occasions Monday. The pair of walks also served to at least give Vogelbach and his fantasy managers a bit of a reprieve from the forgettable start to his season, and it followed a Sunday start in which he also plated his first run of the campaign with a single.
-
Mark Canha LF | TEX
Athletics' Mark Canha: On base four times in win
Canha went 1-for-3 with an RBI single, a bases-loaded walk, another base on balls, a hit-by-pitch and a run in a win over the Mariners on Monday.
The veteran outfielder was able to plate runs in the fifth and seventh innings, his sixth and seventh RBI of the campaign. Canha also boosted his on-base percentage to a stellar .474 with his busy night, and he's one of the few Athletics to have enjoyed some success at the plate this season.
-
Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Day-to-day as hitter
Contrary to a previous report, Ohtani is day-to-day as a hitter with a Grade 1-2 strain of the flexor pronator mass. He won't begin a throwing progression for at least 4-to-6 weeks.
It's safe to say he won't pitch in regular-season games again this season, but there had been a report from the Los Angeles Times earlier in the day that Ohtani would go forward as the primary designated hitter. He will be with the team for its road trip which starts Tuesday in Seattle, but it sounds like he is questionable for that game.
-
Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: To be primary DH
Ohtani (arm) will continue as the Angels' primary designated hitter going forward, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.
He is expected to be with the team when it opens a six-game trip in Seattle on Tuesday. Ohtani had an MRI on his right arm after Sunday's brief start in which his fastball dipped from its customary 95-96 mph range to 89 mph in his final pitches. It sounds like the Angels won't be deploying Ohtani as a pitcher anytime soon, but that isn't necessarily the worst development for his 2020 fantasy value, given his ineffectiveness on the mound this year and his upside as a hitter. He has a .281/.345/.528 slash line with 42 home runs and 23 steals in 228 MLB games, but his 32.1 percent strikeout rate and 3.6 percent walk rate in 28 plate appearances this season are career-worst marks.