MLB Player News

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.

Choi went 2-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Orioles.

His third-inning blast off David Hess was Choi's first homer of the year, but he's stayed productive without going deep, putting together a .293/.373/.431 slash line through 16 games. Given the Rays' depth, the 27-year-old will need to keep hitting if he wants to retain a regular starting spot.

Reed was placed on the minor-league injured list Wednesday with an oblique strain, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Reed got off to a slow start with Triple-A Round Rock, slashing .163/.250/.209 with 19 strikeouts in 43 at-bats. The 25-year-old will be eligible to return April 24 but the severity of the injury is not known.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Stanton (biceps) "hit off a machine with some intensity," Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton had been limited to hitting off a tee, so this is a step forward for the slugger. Despite the positive progress, it remains to be seen whether Stanton will be ready to rejoin the Yankees during their upcoming west coast road trip, which begins Monday and runs through May 1. Look for a more concrete return date to come into focus once he begins to face live pitching.

Vogelbach is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Vogelbach has batted his way into regular playing time, starting at designated hitter in eight of the last nine games, but will hit the bench against Indians righty Shane Bieber. Vogelbach is in a three-way timeshare with Edwin Encarnacion and Jay Bruce in the first base and DH spots. These three batters have each hit five or more homers to begin the year. Vogelbach has been impressive at the plate, posting a 1.318 OPS in 41 at-bats. The Mariners will find a way to put him in the lineup more often than not, particularly against righties.

Ohtani (elbow) won't be required to begin a rehab assignment but will instead face live pitching in simulated games, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani was cleared to begin live hitting after meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday, and general manager Billy Eppler has since revealed that Ohtani will take part in sim games instead of embarking on a rehab assignment. He remains in line for a return from the injured list sometime in May, according to Eppler.

The Yankees officially selected Ford's contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

New York announced the transaction shortly after George A. King III of the New York Post reported that Ford would receive his first big-league callup. The 26-year-old will assume the active roster spot of first baseman/designated hitter Greg Bird, who was placed on the 10-day injured list after being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Bird had struggled mightily at the plate prior to getting hurt, so there could be an opportunity for Ford to stick around with the big club even if Bird's absence proves to be only a short-term situation. Ford slashed a modest .251/.326/.433 over 108 games in the minors in 2018 but has been one of the top hitters early on in the International League this season, amassing a 1.364 OPS over his first 45 plate appearances.

The Yankees plan to select Ford's contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ahead of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.

Ford has played almost exclusively at first base throughout his minor-league career, so his impending promotion could signal that the Yankees are planning to option Luke Voit or Greg Bird to the minors or to place one of the two on the injured list. Since Ford doesn't possess a spot on the 40-man roster, the Yankees will need to make a corresponding transaction later Tuesday before his callup is official. Ford has gotten off to a hot start in the International League this season, submitting a monstrous 1.364 OPS across 45 plate appearances.