MLB Player News

Ohtani (elbow) threw from 90 feet Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Along with stretching out to 90 feet, Ohtani also took batting practice with his teammates for the first time since the injury. The two-way player's return date remains up in the air at this point, although it'll likely depend on how he fares against live hitting, which is scheduled for next week, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The Angels will travel to Mexico on May 4 to begin a two-game series against Houston, and according to Ardaya, Ohtani has made it known that he'd like to be back in action by, or even before, that date. "Would I like to take him to Mexico? If he's ready, I'll take him to Mexico." stated skipper Brad Ausmus.

Stanton (biceps) could return during the Yankees' upcoming road trip, which runs from April 22 to May 1, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

A biceps strain has kept Stanton out of action since the start of the month. The Yankees haven't set a clear target date for his return, but he's been hitting against a pitching machine in recent days and could be ready for a rehab assignment soon.

Choi is not in the lineup against lefty Eduardo Rodriguez and the Red Sox on Friday.

Choi has started against every righty but been on the bench against all but one lefty this season. Yandy Diaz will play first base in his absence, with Daniel Robertson starting at third.

Vogelbach went 2-for-2 with three walks and two runs in a win over the Angels on Thursday.

Teammates Ryon Healy and Omar Narvaez took care of the headline-grabbing hits with three homers between them, while Vogelbach played the unlikely role of table setter. The burly slugger had been mired in a modest 0-for-10 slump over the prior three games entering Thursday, but he snapped out of it with excellent plate discipline. With his second three-walk day of the season Thursday, Vogelbach's walk rate sits at a career-high 19.0 percent through 58 plate appearances, a figure that will certainly do wonders for his on-base percentage if it can remain somewhere in that range over the long term.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two strikeouts in a 6-1 victory against the Yankees on Thursday.

He's still striking out more than 40 percent of the time, but Soler also has 10 extra-base hits, including five homers in 72 at-bats. So while the .236 batting average is a bit low, Soler has posted 14 RBI and eight runs with a .514 slugging percentage this season.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Thursday's 9-7 win over the White Sox.

Cabrera ran his hitting streak up to five games as he and Nicholas Castellanos combined to power the Tigers' offense. The veteran is batting a respectable .265 this season, though his power has gone missing, as he has just a .655 OPS and no home runs to date.

Ohtani (elbow) is scheduled to take batting practice on the field with the team Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

While it remains unclear if Ohtani has hit in any simulated games since gaining clearance for live hitting, the fact that he'll be taking BP with the rest of his teammates is another step in the right direction. He remains on target for a May return, barring any setbacks.

Jimenez went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run in Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Tigers.

Jimenez went opposite field in the sixth inning off Detroit starter Tyson Ross for his third homer of the season. The RBI were his first in six games. The young outfielder told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that he'd been too pull happy the first couple of weeks but is now seeing the ball better.

Ford is in the lineup as the designated hitter, hitting seventh against the Royals on Thursday.

Ford had his contract selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, and he'll slot in and make his MLB debut for this contest against Kansas City. The 26-year-old was off to a red-hot start to the season in Triple-A, with a .410/.467/.897 slash line over 39 at-bats prior to his callup.

Brantley went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Athletics.

Brantley has been front and center during the Astros' offensive revival over the last two weeks. He's hitting .385 (15-for-39) with eight RBI and seven runs scored over the last 10 games. As Houston's cleanup hitter, Brantley is in position to take advantage of on-base machines ahead of him in the lineup: George Springer, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.