MLB Player News

Vogelbach is out of the lineup against Kansas City on Wednesday, Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com reports.

Vogelbach will retreat to the bench for the series finale while Taylor Motter draws the assignment at first and Andrew Romine picks up a start in the infield. Over seven appearances thus far in 2018, Vogelbach has gone 5-for-21 with two RBI and eight strikeouts.

Ohtani will serve as the Angels' designated hitter against the Rangers on Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani was not in the Angels' lineup Tuesday as they faced left-hander Martin Perez -- although he did ground out in a pinch hit appearance -- but will return as the designated hitter for Wednesday's matchup against left-hander Matt Moore. The 23-year-old will next take the mound Sunday against the Royals, which will allow him to potentially be in the lineup for the first three games of the series in Kansas City as well.

Ohtani's next start on the mound will come Sunday against the Royals, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Both of Ohtani's previous two turns have fallen on Sundays, with his last outing representing arguably the top performance by a pitcher this season. Ohtani carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of the Angels' victory over the Athletics, striking out 12 batters along the way. The rookie will draw a favorable matchup in his upcoming appearance, as the Royals rank 29th in the league in runs scored with 26 over eight games.

Ohtani has been battling blisters since the spring but doesn't consider them to be an issue, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani's 2.08 ERA and 18:2 K:BB back up the idea that his blisters are currently a non-issue. Reports of blisters are always potentially worrisome, though, as they can often linger and derail large portions of seasons for pitchers. Rich Hill, Johnny Cueto and Aaron Sanchez all notably battled blisters last season and either missed time or saw their performance decline. For now, there's little reason to worry about Ohtani, and the team is sure to be very careful with their young superstar.

Ohtani is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels have made it clear that Ohtani won't hit the day before or after he pitches, though he was expected to be in the lineup on most other days. Tuesday appears to be an exception, possibly because the Angels face the left-handed Martin Perez. Ohtani also sat against a lefty in the second game of the season, the only other time the Angels have faced a southpaw. They'll face another lefty Wednesday in Matt Moore, so if Ohtani sits again, he'll miss out on the chance to test his power at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park.

Jimenez (pectoral) went 0-for-4 in an extended spring training game against the Reds on Monday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Jimenez continues to progress on schedule as he works his way back from a strained left pectoral muscle. The 21-year-old will continue to get at-bats in extended spring training games until he's able to play without restriction, at which point he'll report to Double-A Birmingham.

Manager Kevin Cash is optimistic that Miller (groin) won't remain on the disabled list longer than the minimum 10 days, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports. "I do think it's different than the injury he sustained in spring training," Cash said. "It's more of your traditional groin strain. But we're not going to risk him to where he can tear something."

Miller strained his groin during a Sunday loss to the Red Sox, and the initial prognosis was a bit murky in terms of a recovery timetable. Cash's comments certainly provide reason for optimism, and the coming days will naturally offer a more definitive sense of whether a return to action for Miller after a 10-day timeframe remains realistic.

Vogelbach is starting at first base and batting sixth Monday against the Royals, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

With Ryon Healy (ankle) heading to the disabled list Monday, Vogelbach should see the bulk of opportunities at first base until Healy is healthy. The 25-year-old prospect has appeared in five games so far this season, going 4-for-15 with a walk and a pair of RBI.

Ohtani is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers.

Ohtani will get the day off after tossing seven dominant innings against the A's on Sunday, striking out 12 and allowing no runs on just two baserunners. The 23-year-old is off to an incredible start to the season, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA, 0.46 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB across 13 innings while slashing .389/.421/.889 with three homers in 18 at-bats. Justin Upton is starting at designated hitter with Ohtani opening Monday's game on the bench, which opens up a spot for Ryan Schimpf to start in left field.

Brantley is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Indians will look to ease Brantley into action as he returns from ankle surgery, so he'll head to the bench for Monday's series opener after starting each of the previous three games. In his place, Rajai Davis will start in left field and hit sixth. The 30-year-old is 2-for-11 with a walk and a pair of RBI since returning from the disabled list last week.