MLB Player News
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Blasts third home run Saturday
Martinez went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and an RBI single Saturday against the Orioles.
It may not have been a grand slam like Wednesday's blast was, but Martinez continues to swing a hot bat for the Red Sox. The team's biggest offseason acquisition is now hitting .283 with three homers and 13 RBI, putting him well on pace for another season surpassing 30 home runs and 100 RBI.
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Brad Miller DH | SD
Rays' Brad Miller: Taking BP on Saturday
Miller (groin) plans to take batting practice on the field and run around a little bit Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The hope is for him to be activated Friday.
He was reevaluated Friday, and that examination apparently went well, as he is resuming baseball activities. If all goes well, he will come off the DL next weekend against the Twins. For now, C.J. Cron is the primary first baseman while Joey Wendle has been playing most days at the keystone.
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Daniel Vogelbach DH | TOR
Mariners' Daniel Vogelbach: Clubs first homer Friday
Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 7-4 win over the A's.
His first home run of the season comes just as Nelson Cruz (ankle) is ready to rejoin the lineup, pushing Vogelbach out of the DH spot. The 25-year-old will see time at first base for now, but his .222/.300/.370 slash line and 1:11 BB:K in 30 plate appearances won't keep him in the regular starting lineup once Ryon Healy (ankle) also gets healthy.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Bats seventh against Royals on Friday
Ohtani will move up to seventh in the batting order versus Kansas City on Friday, 610 Sports Radio - Kansas City reports.
Ohtani continues to impress at the plate, as he's now hitting 9-for-29 with one triple, three home runs and 11 RBI over six appearances as the club's designated hitter. It's expected that he will get the night off Saturday with his scheduled pitching start coming Sunday.
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Michael Brantley LF | HOU
Indians' Michael Brantley: Not in Friday's lineup
Brantley is out of the lineup against Toronto on Friday.
Brantley will retreat to the bench after starting the past three days, going 4-for-10 with a double and two RBI during those contests. The 30-year-old will continue to receive scheduled off days every now and then in order to keep him fresh. In his place, Rajai Davis will get the nod in left field while batting ninth.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Keeps rolling at plate
Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a three-run triple and a walk, helping the Angels to a 7-1 victory over the Royals on Thursday.
It's nothing short of unbelievable what the rookie phenom has been doing and whether or not he can continue to put up such elite numbers as both a hitter and on the mound has quickly become easily the most intriguing story in baseball. It's also hard to overstate what it would mean for his fantasy value should he continue to perform both roles so well while only taking up one roster spot. If there's anything diminishing that, it's that he's given off days on either side of his pitching starts, limiting his opportunity to log as many at-bats as a normal everyday player. He told reporters after the Angels' game on Wednesday, however, that he would like to play more as the season progresses, so if the coaching staff eventually obliges he could end up with even more chances to hit.
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Brad Miller DH | SD
Rays' Brad Miller: Reevaluation coming Friday
Miller (groin) will be reevaluated Friday to determine when he can resume baseball activities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Miller went on the 10-day disabled list last Sunday, the same day he suffered a groin strain against the Red Sox. Manager Kevin Cash is already on record as stating that he doesn't expect the infielder's DL stint to last beyond the minimum timeframe, and Friday's evaluation should shed further light on whether that prognosis is on track.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: In lineup as DH on Thursday
Ohtani will once again serve as the Angels' designated hitter for Thursday's series opener in Kansas City, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
Ohtani will DH for the second straight day after going 1-for-4 with an RBI on Wednesday. Since he isn't scheduled to take the mound again until Sunday, Ohtani may be back in the lineup for Friday's contest as well. Over 24 plate appearances, he's tallied eight hits, three home runs and eight RBI this season.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Slugs grand slam Wednesday
Martinez went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 10-7 loss to the Yankees.
It's his second homer of the season, and while Martinez's batting average is still a sluggish .250 (10-for-40) he has driven in 10 runs in 10 games. The 30-year-old is locked into the cleanup spot in one of MLB's better offenses, and Martinez should continue to produce big numbers as long as he can stay healthy.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Three hits in Wednesday's win
Stanton went 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Red Sox.
That's now back-to-back multi-hit performances for Stanton, and while he's had some trouble making consistent contact in the early going, he does still have three homers and 10 RBI through 12 games. Expect his .235 batting average to continue rising now that Stanton appears to be settling in to his new environment and new uniform.