MLB Player News

Ohtani's blister is healing as expected and he remains on his usual throwing schedule, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The blister forced him out of his previous start Tuesday against the Red Sox after just two innings. It clearly affected him, as he allowed three runs on four hits and a pair of walks, striking out just one. With extra rest already built into his schedule, it appears that the Angels don't expect him to miss a start. He's expected to take the mound Tuesday in a tough spot at Houston, but the Angels will likely keep a close eye on their prized offseason acquisition as blisters can easily cause a pitcher to miss several starts throughout the season. With Ohtani transitioning to a slightly different ball after coming over from Japan, it's believable that he would be more susceptible to the issue than the average pitcher.

Martinez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Angels.

It's easy to miss one individual's contributions when a team starts the season at 16-2, tops in MLB, but Martinez is doing his best to stand out. One week ago he was batting .227, but he's put on a show since, going 13-for-24 (.542) with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI over the past six games. Boston's starting pitching has been elite and Mookie Betts is tearing up the league, but Martinez has raised his average 111 points over the past week and is looking comfortable in the middle of the order after a slow start, leading the league in hard contact (65.3 percent).

Jimenez (pectoral) went 0-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored Thursday for Double-A Birmingham.

Jimenez, the White Sox's top-ranked fantasy prospect per RotoWire, had been dealing with a strained left pectoral muscle. He'd been at extended spring training until his regular season started Thursday with the Barons. He's expected to reach Triple-A Charlotte at some point in 2018, with a promotion to the big leagues much later this season a real possibility.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double in Thursday's win over the Orioles.

Strangely, Cabrera didn't score or drive anyone in despite his three hits and despite the Tigers scoring 13 runs. Still, it's good to see the veteran rack up the hits, and he's now slashing .283/.353/.467. After a subpar 2017, Cabrera is showing signs of his old self early in 2018.

Ohtani (hand) will hit sixth in the order for Thursday's game against the Red Sox.

This marks the highest spot in the batting order for Ohtani during his brief career in the big leagues. The 23-year-old will handle the designated hitting duties against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez after being removed from Tuesday's start on the mound due to a blister on his right hand. Ohtani remains on track to make his next scheduled start against the Astros on Tuesday.

Stanton will be moved down to the cleanup spot against Toronto on Thursday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Stanton has hit third in the order in all 16 games this season, but manager Aaron Boone has finally decided to shake things up in the hopes of getting the 28-year-old back on track. Didi Gregorius will bat third while Gary Sanchez follows Stanton in the five hole. Prior to Thursday's game, Stanton was slashing .197/.293/.409 with three home runs, 10 RBI and a 38.7-percent K%.

Canha went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and two walks in an extra-innings win over the White Sox on Wednesday.

Canha's second homer of the season kickstarted what would end up being a rally from an early 6-1 deficit. The 29-year-old has a modest three-game hitting streak going, and he's now hit safely in five of his last six games overall.

Miller (groin) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run in High-A Charlotte's 18-2 win over Clearwater on Wednesday.

Miller suited up for his second consecutive game for the Stone Crabs, playing second base and apparently emerging without setbacks. That seemingly clears the way for him to rejoin the big-league club for the opening contest of a three-game home set against the Twins on Friday. Miller is expected to see plenty of time at the keystone upon activation, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports, as Daniel Robertson is currently manning third base in place of Matt Duffy (hamstring).

Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels still anticipate that Ohtani (blister) will make his next scheduled start, which would likely fall Tuesday in Houston, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani was removed from Tuesday's game against the Red Sox prior to the third inning after developing a blister on his hand, but the team is hopeful that the issue won't keep the two-way superstar out of action. Scioscia said Ohtani is available to DH on Thursday -- noting that the blister has no impact on his decision to deploy Ohtani as the designated hitter -- though he wouldn't confirm his presence in the lineup with a southpaw pitching for the Red Sox. It sounds like the 23-year-old will have no problem hitting, and barring any setbacks, he appears to be lined up to take his turn in the rotation on schedule.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Orioles.

The future Hall of Famer hit his second homer of the season, and 464th of his career, on his 35th birthday, but he wasn't the only one supplying fireworks. Detroit hit four long balls on the day, including Dixon Machado's walkoff shot, while Baltimore provided two of their own. Cabrera had gone just 4-for-22 with zero RBI in his prior six games, so Wednesday's blast was a welcome sight for those with fantasy shares in him.