MLB Player News

Ohtani (elbow) will begin to face live pitching in one week, assuming his visit to the doctor Monday went as planned, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

This is big news for Ohtani, as this latest update indicates he's nearing the final steps in his rehab. The Angels have yet to hear back about how his visit with the doctor went, although if all went according to plan, Ohtani will step into the batter's box against live hitting in a week. It's still unclear whether he'll do so in simulated games or while on a minor-league rehab stint.

Soler is on the bench for the first time this season Monday against the White Sox.

Soler has started nine games as a designated hitter and a further six in right field. Lucas Duda will fill the former position Monday, with Chris Owings in right field.

Soler went 1-for-4 with a home run and walk in a 9-8 victory against the Indians on Sunday.

The 27-year-old has been an all-or-nothing guy in 2019. He's always struggled with contact, but Soler leads the league with 24 strikeouts early this season. However, he also has nine extra-base hits, including four homers. Owners would like to see Soler make more contact, as he is hitting just .217, but he does possess a .500 slugging percentage with 13 RBI and seven runs in 60 at-bats.

Miller was designated for assignment by the Indians on Sunday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI in the series finale.

Miller was booted from the roster to make room for the return of Jason Kipnis (calf), who's set to join the team in Seattle. Miller could conceivably get scooped up by another big-league team while on waivers, considering his versatility and the fact that he's gotten off to a decent start in 2019. He's batting .250 with a home run, four RBI and a stolen base over 13 games.

Cabrera is batting second and serving as the designated hitter in Sunday's game against the Twins.

With Josh Harrison (shoulder) out of the lineup, the Tigers are shifting their regulars up, which puts Cabrera in the unusual spot of second. This is just the fourth time the 35-year-old has batted second in his 15-year MLB career, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. Expect Cabrera to slide back down to third in short order.

Collins went 1-for-4 with a solo home run for Triple-A Charlotte in Saturday's game against Indianapolis.

Collins has put a charge into the ball early on, cracking five homers over his first seven games. The young catcher appears to be letting fewer pitches pass by, opting to swing at hittable offerings he'd take last year. His typically elite-level OBP is at just .300 through seven games.

Jimenez went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in a victory over the Yankees on Friday.

The 22-year-old is heating up. He's 8-for-16 (.500) and has posted three extra-base hits (his only three this year) in his last four games. The hot streak has raised his batting average to .319 for the year, and he has added two homers, six RBI and three runs.

Stanton (biceps) hit off a tee and took some soft-toss swings Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton began swinging a bat Wednesday, and while it's good to see that he's slowly progressing, the Yankees still haven't released a concrete timetable for his return to game action. A return date should become clearer once he begins to face live pitching.

Ohtani (elbow) will hit off a pitching machine Friday, Russell Dorsey of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani had said last week that he hopes to return by the end of the month, but that doesn't appear to be the Angels' plan. The team is targeting a return at some point in May.

Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a walk and a go-ahead solo home run in an extra-inning win over the Royals on Thursday.

Fittingly, it was the team's hottest hitter that ultimately delivered yet another win for the scorching-hot Mariners, as Vogelbach's 427-foot shot to center in the 10th snapped a 6-6 tie and ultimately proved to be the winning run. He now has five of his six home runs on the season in the last five contests, and he's amassed all 11 RBI on his ledger in the last seven.