MLB Player News

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the blister Ohtani suffered on his right middle finger during his start Wednesday against the Royals isn't as severe as the one the rookie dealt with in April, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani lasted four innings Wednesday before being pulled due to the blister, taking a no-decision while giving up one run on four hits and three walks and striking out four in the Angels' victory. The 23-year-old occasionally battled blisters during his time in Japan, so it's somewhat unsettling that he's already been removed in two outings this season on account of the same issue. Fortunately for Ohtani, the Angels don't believe the latest occurrence is cause for major concern, and if Scioscia's assessment of the situation is correct, the right-hander may not even be forced to skip a start. After leaving his April 17 outing against the Red Sox with the blister, Ohtani was cleared to take the hill the following week on his normal six days' rest. Ohtani is tentatively lined up to make his next turn June 13 in Seattle.

Canha went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Rangers on Wednesday.

Canha was sporting an impressive .339 average following another 3-for-4 performance back on May 2, but an 11-for-75 slump over his subsequent 22 games had led to a 108-point drop in that figure by month's end. However, Canha has been showing signs of life again since the calendar flipped to June, as factoring in Wednesday's production, he's hitting a red-hot .429 over his first five games of the month. The outfielder's .250 average and .311 on-base percentage have plenty of room for improvement, but Canha has generated a serviceable .446 slugging percentage on the strength of 15 extra-base hits (eight doubles, seven home runs).

Miller could be removed from the 40-man roster when the Rays formally select Jake Bauers' contract from Triple-A Durham ahead of Thursday's game against the Mariners, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Though Miller was productive in Wednesday's loss to the Nationals with his second three-hit showing of the season, he has been a middling performer at the plate since slugging 30 home runs in 2016. Over the last season and change, Miller has hit .219/.325/.366 (90 wRC+) with 14 long balls in 581 plate appearances, while his limitations in the middle infield forced a permanent move to first base this spring. He has remained a negative defender at the new position and hasn't supplied the sort of power teams covet from corner men, so even if the Rays temporarily keep Miller on the roster, it seems apparent that he'll lose hold of his everyday role once Bauers arrives.

Ohtani exited Wednesday's game prior to the fifth inning with a blister on his right middle finger, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani was seen blowing on his hand throughout the outing, and he was ultimately removed prior to the fifth frame due to the issue. He had allowed just one run through four innings while striking out four prior to exiting. The severity of the issue remains unclear, but it's worth noting that the 23-year-old was only pushed back a couple days after exiting a start earlier in the year with blisters.

Ohtani was removed from Wednesday's game against the Royals prior to the fifth inning with an apparent injury, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Ohtani had a meeting with trainers after warming up for the fifth inning, after which he exited the game and headed straight to the clubhouse. The 23-year-old was seen blowing on his hand/fingers during the game, per Ardaya, suggesting the blisters he dealt with earlier in the season could be back. Ohtani had allowed one run over four innings prior to exiting the game.

Buxton has only made moderate progress in his recovery from a broken toe, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The pain in Buxton's toe is apparently subsiding at a slower rate than expected. He still hasn't resumed baseball activities, and a possible return date for the outfielder likely won't come into focus until he's able to do so. Ryan LaMarre will continue to fill in for the injured Buxton in center field.

Miller entered Tuesday's loss to the Nationals as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and delivered a two-run double in his only at-bat.

As was the case in the Rays' most recent game Sunday, Miller was responsible for the team's only runs via a timely two-bagger. He did it in a pinch-hit capacity this time around, as he was called on in place of reliever Wilmer Font in the eighth inning with Tampa facing a 4-0 deficit. With the recent departure of Denard Span via trade, Miller's 21 RBI put him behind only C.J. Cron and Wilson Ramos on the team in that category.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 6-0 win over the Tigers.

Martinez, a former Tiger, touched up his old team early, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning which was all Steven Wright needed. The long ball was his fifth in the last 10 games, and he became the first player in the majors to reach 20 home runs. He had left his previous game with back spasms, but it looks like that was a precautionary move, as Martinez didn't miss any additional time.

Ohtani is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Royals.

As per usual, Ohtani will head to the bench Tuesday as he continues to be withheld from the lineup the day before he pitches. Mike Trout is serving as the DH and hitting third in his stead.

Martinez (back) is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's matchup against Detroit, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Martinez exited Sunday's tilt with back spasms, but it appears he's good to go, as he's slated to start in the series opener. He's penciled into the lineup as the designated hitter and will bat third.