MLB Player News

Brantley went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Rays.

Brantley went yard in the fourth inning, tagging Blake Snell for his first home run as an Astro. He also reached base in the sixth inning on a single, but was ultimately caught stealing second base. Notably, Brantley served as the cleanup hitter even with a southpaw on the mound. If he remains in that role throughout the season, he should be in a strong position to drive in runs.

Ohtani (elbow) took batting practice on the field Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The is reports.

This is an encouraging step for Ohtani, who had been limited to hitting in the cage prior to Thursday's session. The 24-year-old will continue to ramp things up over the next month as he looks to return at some point in May.

The Angels placed Ohtani (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Brad Ausmus said earlier this month that Ohtani won't be ready to join the Angels until at least May, so the two-way player's move to the IL comes as no surprise. Ohtani, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, won't pitch this season but is expected to see steady at-bats at designated hitter once he's activated.

Canha may not see as much playing time at first base during Matt Olson's (hand) season-opening absence in the wake of the Wednesday acquisition of Kendrys Morales from the Blue Jays, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.

In the days preceding the trade, manager Bob Melvin had indicated that Canha and Jurickson Profar would primarily split first-base duties in Olson's absence, with the latter getting the starts against right-handed pitching. Canha notably proved plenty proficient versus southpaws last season (.282 average, nine doubles, 13 home runs, .390 wOBA), while the switch-hitting Morales struggled versus that handedness (.199 average over 151 plate appearances). It's possible the plan to deploy Canha versus lefties remains largely intact, even as Morales' arrival initially adds an element of uncertainty to the entire situation.

Canha went 2-for-3 with a double, a two-run home run and three RBI overall in a seven-inning exhibition win over the Giants on Tuesday.

Canha closed out the Bay Bridge series by compiling 75 percent of his team's runs on the night. The veteran is slated to split starts at first base with Jurickson Profar during Matt Olson's multi-week absence due to a hand injury. He'll head back into regular-season play hot after logging just one plate appearance in the opening two-game series versus the Mariners last week in Japan.

Vogelbach (elbow) went 0-for-3 with a walk in an exhibition loss to the Padres on Tuesday.

Vogelbach had been battling a sore elbow that stemmed from getting plunked in his first plate appearance of the season last Wednesday against the Athletics in Japan. Tuesday's return to action eliminates any lingering question about Vogelbach's availability for Thursday's home opener against the Red Sox.

Jimenez was officially promoted from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.

Jimenez was optioned to Triple-A on March 13 but his return to the big-league roster has been in the making since he signed a six-year, $43 million extension with the White Sox last week. The 22-year-old top prospect is ticketed to serve as Chicago's everyday starter in left field after posting an impressive .355/.399/.597 slash line in 55 games at Charlotte last season.

Vogelbach (elbow) will serve as the Mariners' designated hitter and will occupy the cleanup spot in Tuesday's exhibition versus the Padres.

Vogelbach came out of last week's two-game, season-opening series in Japan against the Athletics with a sore left elbow after he was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance of 2019. After receiving a few days off to treat the injury, Vogelbach's return to the lineup for the Mariners' final spring game suggests he'll be ready to go for the club's stateside opener Thursday versus the Red Sox.

Ohtani (elbow) hit in the cage and threw out to 50 feet Monday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Ohtani is slowly but surely working his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent last October. He should be cleared for on-field batting practice soon, barring setbacks. While he remains without a concrete return timeline, the hope is that Ohtani will be ready to serve as the team's designated hitter in May.

Choi went 3-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and two RBI overall in an 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Choi vaulted his spring average to .378 with Saturday's perfect day at the plate. The 27-year-old is already slated to log plenty of time at designated hitter, but he's also set to fill in at first base early in the season as part of the domino effect of Matt Duffy's absence due to a hamstring injury. Starting first baseman Yandy Diaz is slated to occasionally fill in for Duffy at the hot corner, which will leave Choi poised for some starts in the field.