MLB Player News

Martinez is out of the lineup versus the Braves on Wednesday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Martinez will receive a standard day off following eight straight starts as the Red Sox wrap up a three-game set in Atlanta. Manager Alex Cora said last weekend that he wanted to give Martinez at least one breather this series. Look for him to rejoin the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against Houston.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani (back/finger) will throw two bullpen sessions this week -- one Wednesday and one Friday -- before determining if he'll start Sunday against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Scioscia said Ohtani will throw a light bullpen session Wednesday before ramping things up in Friday's session. If all goes well, it sounds like the two-way star won't be forced to miss a turn through the rotation. The injury apparently doesn't inhibit his offensive ability, as he's hitting second against the Rangers on Tuesday.

Vogelbach was called up by the Mariners on Tuesday.

Vogelbach hit just .212/.342/.333 in 25 games with the Mariners earlier in the year. He'll likely be little more than a bench bat over the final month of the season.

Ohtani (back/finger) returns to the lineup Tuesday against Texas, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani left his Sunday start early with both back stiffness and a sore finger. He didn't bat Monday, though he's always been rested the day after he pitches. It appears the injuries won't prevent him from hitting, though it remains to be seen whether they'll have any effect on his ability to pitch.

Choi is not in the lineup Tuesday against Toronto, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

Choi hasn't started against a single lefty since joining the Rays. That trend continues Tuesday with Ryan Borucki on the mound. Tommy Pham will be the designated hitter in his absence.

Brantley is not starting Tuesday against the Royals.

Brantley sits for just the third time since the All-Star break. He's hit a solid .295/.362/.404 in the second half, slightly down from his .308/.355/.493 first-half line. Brandon Guyer will start in left field in his absence.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a win over the Yankees on Monday.

Canha's fifth-inning, 407-foot shot to left closed out the scoring on the day and enabled him to tie the career high in home runs he'd established back during his rookie 2015 campaign. The 29-year-old has now gone deep in back-to-back contests following a power drought that stretched back to July 31, but his playing time remains somewhat in flux due to the emergence of Ramon Laureano.

Choi went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Blue Jays on Monday.

Choi's one-out, 451-foot shot to right center in the seventh put a cap on an impressive offensive performance by the Rays and served his first round tripper since Aug. 10. The 27-year-old has hit safely in each of the first three games of September, improving his season line to a solid .270/.346/.489 in the process. Given his increasing production, Choi should be locked in as the team's designated hitter on a regular basis.

Ohtani (back/finger) is not in the lineup Monday against the Rangers.

Ohtani's return to the mound lasted just 2.1 innings Sunday before he was pulled due to back stiffness and a sore finger. It's unclear whether or not those issues will prevent him from hitting for a few days, as he was always going to sit the day after pitching. The severity of the issue should become clearer once it's known whether or not he'll miss an additional game.

Jimenez will not be called up this season, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

The White Sox refuted reports Sunday that Jimenez wasn't going to be called up, but general manager Rick Hahn confirmed the reports Monday. The team claims that Jimenez's defense is the reason he'll remain in the minors, but it's quite obvious that service-time concerns are the primary reason. That likely means that Jimenez will be held down for the first few weeks of 2019, only for his defense to be suddenly deemed adequate.