MLB Player News

Ohtani (elbow) took batting practice on the field again Friday and said afterward that he "felt great," Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Friday's batting practice session marked Ohtani's second in as many days, and he could progress to taking live batting practice as soon as this weekend. The Angels have made it clear that they plan to have Ohtani return as a hitter this season, and given how well he's responded so far to his hitting program, a return as the DH before the All-Star break or shortly thereafter seems entirely possible. As far as pitching goes, Ohtani was recently treated with a PRP injection in his pitching elbow and the team will follow up in three weeks or so to determine if a return to the mound is realistic for this season.

Rooker went 2-for-4 with two home runs Thursday for Double-A Chattanooga. He's hitting .265/318/.495 with 13 home runs in 71 games.

Rooker continues to display impressive power but he still has a problematic 28.5 percent strikeout rate and a walk rate that has declined to seven percent at Double-A. His age (23) also would appear to cap the upside of the 2017 1st-round draft pick. Despite those flaws, he continues to produce at each level.

Ohtani (elbow) was cleared to begin a hitting program and will be re-evaluated in three weeks, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

General manager Billy Eppler said that Ohtani's MRI revealed improvement and indicated healing in his ligament. This will allow Ohtani to start batting practice immediately, though Eppler was noncommittal when discussing his pitching prospects. The GM added that Ohtani's check-up with doctors in three weeks will give the team a better idea of whether he'll be able to pitch again this year. Looking ahead, Ohtani is not expected to appear in any minor-league rehab contests, rather, he will resume hitting in simulated games and could face live pitching as soon as this weekend if all goes according to plan, per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group. Additionally, Eppler made it known that none of the doctors he spoke with said Ohtani would require a surgical procedure at this time. Though that's obviously a positive sign, there's a long way to go before the right-hander is out of the woods.

Goins was designated for assignment by the Royals on Thursday, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic reports.

Goins was removed from the active and 40-man rosters in order to make room for Jorge Bonifacio, who was reinstated from his suspension in a corresponding move. Over 41 games with the Royals, Goins hit .226 with a pedestrian .565 OPS and just six RBI. He will now enter waivers and could find a new home by next week.

Buxton (toe) will play in both games of a doubleheader for Triple-A Rochester on Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton appears to be closing in on a return to the big leagues as he's set to compete in another twin-bill at the Triple-A level. Over six games with Rochester in the past couple weeks, he's gone 4-for-22 with one home run and four RBI, and more importantly, hasn't experienced any setbacks or pain in the fractured left big toe. Look for an update on his status from manager Paul Molitor in the coming days.

Reed was called up from Triple-A Fresno on Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

With Yulieski Gurriel away from the team while awaiting the birth of his child, Reed will step in and provide extra depth at first base in his absence. It seems likely that Reed will be shipped back down to the minors once Gurriel is reinstated from the paternity leave list, but the former has continued to prove his worth at the Triple-A level this season, recording an OPS of .915 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 73 games.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, three RBI and a pair of runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Angels.

Martinez delivered a three-run shot in the second inning, the final blow in the six-run frame. The 30-year-old has been an absolute beast in his first year in Boston, leading the league in both home runs (25) and RBI (64) to go along with a .329/.396/.654 slash line.

General manager Billy Eppler said Ohtani is "likely to return as a hitter" no matter what the result of Ohtani's PRP injection is, Jim Duquette of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Eppler added that the Angels chose to go this route because the team still hopes Ohtani will be able to take the mound this season. The GM also stated that more will be known regarding Ohtani's status during Thursday's re-evaluation of his elbow. In the event that Ohtani is forced to require surgery, the organization could elect to delay the procedure until the offseason in order to keep Ohtani's bat in the lineup.

Buxton (toe) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, and remains on the disabled list for the time being.

Buxton had a shot to rejoin the Twins on Tuesday, but his rehab assignment will continue for the time being. He is eligible to be activated from the disabled list at any point, and will rejoin the big club when the Twins deem him ready. Just when that will be remains to be seen, as Minnesota likely wants him to get at-bats at the major-league level, but will not be forced to add him back to the roster until July 9.

The Red Sox have asked about Canha, but were rebuffed by the Athletics, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Red Sox are poking around for outfield help, given the struggles of Jackie Bradley (.189) this season, and identified Canha as a possible target. There's a chance the two sides could revisit things next month, but the A's are said to be looking for starting pitching, a scarce commodity in Boston's minor-league system.