MLB Player News

General manager Billy Eppler wouldn't specify when Ohtani (elbow) might return from the 10-day injured list, but he noted he's "hopeful" the 24-year-old would be available at some point during the Angels' road trip that begins Tuesday in Detroit, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani faced another round of live pitching Sunday and appears to have reached the approximately 40 competitive plate appearances the Angels said he would require prior to being activated. Before departing for Detroit, the Angels will presumably reassess the condition of Ohtani's right elbow and then determine whether or not he's ready to make his 2019 debut. It's unlikely the Angels will ask Ohtani to play on an everyday basis upon being reinstated -- at least not right away -- so even if he joins the lineup Tuesday, it might be best for fantasy managers in most leagues to continue stashing him on the bench or in an injured list spot this week.

Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Indians on Saturday.

The slugger took Carlos Carrasco deep in the fourth inning, a 392-foot shot to right that served as his ninth round tripper of the campaign. Vogelbach has been in a modest slump of late -- factoring in Saturday's production, he's 3-for-16 over his last seven games -- and the homer was his first since April 20.

Brantley went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI and one run scored Saturday against the Angels.

Brantley's big contribution came on a two-run homer -- his sixth home run of the year -- off Trevor Cahill in the third inning, and he added a two-run double in the fifth inning. Brantley has had no trouble adjusting to his new team, hitting .333/.380/.540 across 137 plate appearances.

Cabrera went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 4-3 win over the Royals.

All three hits were singles, which has basically been the story of Cabrera's season so far. The veteran is batting .295 with a .365 on-base percentage, but he's slugging just .366, which would be a career worst. Cabrera can certainly still hit, though the 36-year-old shouldn't be expected to produce the same kind of power numbers that he did when he was younger.

Soler went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and a sacrifice fly in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers.

After putting the Royals on the board in the fourth inning, Soler took Shane Greene deep in the ninth frame to bring Kansas City within one, though that's ultimately where things would end. Soler's three-hit effort Friday raised his average to .242, which marks the highest it has been since April 11.

Ford was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following Friday's game against the Twins.

Ford hit just .179/.378/.321 with a homer and two RBI through 10 appearances with the Yankees. This move frees up a spot on the roster for Miguel Andujar (shoulder), who is expected to be activated from the injured list ahead of Saturday's game.

Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton (shoulder) will start ramping up his activities Monday, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Stanton will go through a pair of "light" workouts Saturday and Sunday, and if everything goes off without a hitch, the veteran slugger will be cleared to ramp things up from there. Look for an updated timetable for his return to emerge once he's cleared to increase his activities.

Manager Brad Ausmus said Ohtani (elbow) "could" return Tuesday against the Tigers, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani's original return date was set for May 17, but Ausmus didn't shoot down the idea of activating him ahead of Tuesday's series opener in Detroit, if Ohtani proves ready. The 25-year-old, who recently said he feels ready to return, is scheduled to take live batting practice each of the next three days, and how he responds will likely determine when he's activated from the injured list.

Ford is in the lineup as the DH, hitting fifth against the Twins on Friday.

The 26-year-old slides into the starting lineup for the first time since April 25. He's hitting just .167 in 24 at-bats since his callup from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre, but he has drawn eight walks to give him a solid .394 on-base percentage.

Ohtani (elbow) is expected to be activated before the Angels' three-game series against the Royals beginning May 17, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Angels have finally set a date for Ohtani's return after a few weeks of speculation on when the two-way star would come off the injured list. Ohtani has been hitting in simulated games for nearly two weeks now and has stated that he feels healthy enough to play, but Los Angeles will hold him out until mid-May to ensure he's good to go.