MLB Player News

Buxton (toe) was activated from the disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.

It's been a rough year for Buxton, who has missed time with migraines and a fractured toe. He's been poor when healthy, hitting just .156/.183/.200 in 28 games. He hadn't done enough on his rehab assignment (hitting just .214/.267/.333) to prove that he should be back in the big leagues, so he'll now be stuck in the minors until he gets his rhythm back.

Martinez will get a rare day off Monday against the Nationals.

As expected, Martinez will miss at least one game while Boston plays in a National League park. He's likely to make a pair of starts in the outfield Tuesday and Wednesday, with Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley expected to get days off.

Martinez will play the outfield in two of the three games the Red Sox are playing in Washington against the Nationals, Bill Koch of the Providence Journal reports.

Playing in a National League city, the Red Sox are without the luxury of using a designated hitter, the role in which Martinez served during all three games against the Yankees over the weekend. Manager Alex Cora will juggle his outfield for the series in Washington, as both Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley will also sit one of the three games.

Jimenez exited Triple-A Charlotte's game Sunday with an apparent leg injury.

Jimenez went 1-for-2 at the dish before being lifted from the game. He was removed after flying out to right field in the second inning. The severity of the injury remains unclear, though more information should be released in the near future. Jimenez is widely viewed as Chicago's No. 1 minor-league prospect.

Ohtani (elbow) will take live batting practice Sunday and is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list at some point during the upcoming week, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani endured no complications with his sprained right elbow while taking batting practice Friday and hitting in a simulated game Saturday, so he'll face live pitching again Sunday with the hope of proving to the Angels that he's ready for reinstatement. The right-hander has yet to resume a throwing program and isn't expected to take part in any mound work until at least late July, as the Angels will re-evaluate him after the All-Star break to see if a platelet-rich plasma injection has alleviated the pain he's experiencing in his elbow. It appears the injury won't hinder him at the plate, however, so Ohtani should soon be available to serve as the primary designated hitter for the Angels. He could be activated as soon as Tuesday, when the team opens a three-game series with the Mariners.

Martinez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in a win over the Yankees on Saturday.

Martinez joined the party against Sonny Gray and the mop-up members of New York's bullpen. While he didn't leave the yard in this one, the three-hit effort broke his 0-or-7 slide from his previous two contests, and he keeps his perch as the major-league leader with 25 homers while increasing his MLB-best RBI total to 67. It's been another phenomenal season for the 30-year-old that should book him for an All-Star spot.

Ohtani (elbow) took live batting practice and participated in a simulated game prior to Saturday's game in Baltimore.

It's the second straight day of batting practice for Ohtani, and facing live pitchers during the simulated game represents a big step for his potential return as a designated hitter. The Angels indicated the 23-year-old's pitching prospects for 2018 will be reevaluated in three weeks after he receives a PRP injection, but he could seemingly return to the team as a DH as soon as next week's series in Seattle.

Manager Paul Molitor said Saturday that there's no guarantee Buxton (toe) will be recalled once his 20-day rehab assignment ends, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton is currently on Day 12 of his latest rehab stint, so the Twins have roughly a week to make a decision. The 24-year-old has hit safely in six of nine games since reporting to Triple-A Rochester, but only once has he had multiple hits, leading to a .206/.250/.324 slash line. It sounds like the Twins want Buxton to get more comfortable at the plate while also giving Jake Cave a bit more time to make an impression.

Reed started at first base Friday in place of Yulieski Gurriel (personal) and went 0-for-3 in a 3-2 loss to the Rays.

Reed made no impact as a hitter, but he was involved in a game-deciding sequence in the field. He was unable to scoop a low throw that paved the way for two unearned runs to score. Reed made his first start since being called up from Triple-A Fresno on Thursday, when Gurriel left the team on paternity leave. Gurriel is expected to return no later than Sunday.

The White Sox will consider promoting Jimenez to the majors this season if he forces their hand, according to director of player development Chris Getz, Max Gelman of MiLB.com reports.

While it's easy to turn this story into an attention-grabbing headline, there's not a lot of substance here, as there are plenty of qualifiers and no guarantees. It's not clear exactly what level of performance would force the team's hand, and even then, Getz only says they would consider promoting their top prospect. There is much more to be gained by keeping Jimenez down until mid-April 2019 than to promote him this summer in a non-competitive season. Jimenez, who was already promoted to Triple-A Charlotte on June 21, is hitting .250/.351/.438 with two home runs and a 5:4 K:BB in 37 plate appearances at the highest level of the minor leagues.