MLB Player News

Ohtani (knee) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat leadoff Saturday against the White Sox.

Ohtani left Thursday's game early due to knee inflammation and didn't play Friday, but he seems to be ready to go Saturday after getting some rest. The two-way star has been surging at the plate this month, slashing .444/.535/.833 with three homers, nine RBI and 11 runs scored in nine games since June 1.

The Padres placed Andujar on the 10-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Thursday, with a left hamstring strain.

Andujar began dealing with hamstring issues Sunday and hasn't been in the starting lineup since, though he's been able to enter a few games off the bench. Now officially battling a strain, he'll move to the injured list and remain out until at least June 21. Nick Solak was selected to the active roster in a corresponding move.

Fulford went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Athletics.

Fulford continues to fill a short-side platoon role at designated hitter while adding some extra depth at catcher. His playing time is limited even when he starts, as he's often lifted for a pinch hitter once a right-hander takes the mound for the opposition. Fulford is batting .222 with a .660 OPS, three steals, one home run, four RBI and seven runs scored over 31 plate appearances this season.

Eldridge went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Cubs.

Eldridge had all but one of the Giants' hits in the contest. His ninth-inning homer kept them from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive for the home team to take from this game. That's now three straight games with a homer and four straight with an extra-base hit for Eldridge. He is batting .425 (17-for-40) in June, and that's after he ended May with a four-hit game. Overall, he's hitting .316 with a .959 OPS, five homers, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored and nine doubles across 29 contests, with his recent surge making it tough to see him coming out of the lineup for anything other than rest any time soon.

Imaging on Ohtani's left knee revealed Friday that he isn't dealing with any structural damage, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani will be held out of Friday's contest against the White Sox, but manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the two-way star isn't dealing with anything more than inflammation in his left knee. He's expected to resume duties as the Dodgers' designated hitter sometime this weekend and remains on track to make his next start on the mound Wednesday.

Ohtani (knee) is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

The two-way star exited Thursday's matchup with the Pirates due to left knee inflammation and will miss at least one start. Manager Dave Roberts said after Thursday's game that his concern level for the injury was "not high," so Ohtani should continue to be considered day-to-day until the team updates his status.

Manager Dave Roberts indicated Ohtani (knee) has a strong chance to be in the starting lineup Friday against the White Sox, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Ohtani exited Thursday's 8-6 win over the Pirates in the seventh inning with left knee inflammation. Roberts said following the game that his concern level for Ohtani's injury is "not high," and that he feels good about the 31-year-old's chances to play Friday. Ohtani appears to have avoided a major injury, so fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief.

Ohtani left Thursday's contest against the Pirates in the seventh inning due to left knee inflammation, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Ohtani was replaced by Santiago Espinal at the plate in the top of the seventh inning, and the team quickly announced that Ohtani was dealing with a knee issue. The 31-year-old underwent surgery on the left knee in 2019, and it's unclear if Thursday's issue has anything to do with the previous injury. He finished the night having gone 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two walks. More information on his status will likely be provided in the near future.

Suarez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Padres.

Suarez extended the Reds' lead to 4-2 in the eighth inning with his solo shot off Ron Marinaccio, his fifth long ball this year and just his second in his last 24 games. Suarez has gone 3-for-9 with a pair of extra-base hits in his last two contests after going just 3-for-36 (.083) in his previous 10 games. Overall, the veteran is slashing .211/.282/.354 with 18 RBI and 14 runs scored across 163 plate appearances this season.

Smith served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with a walk in Wednesday's 8-0 loss to Miami.

Smith made a fourth consecutive start as the designated hitter and is 2-for-11 with three walks and an RBI during that stretch. As to be expected, all four starts have come against right-handers. The Diamondbacks have used LuJames Groover and Ildemaro Vargas at first base during those contests. Since being activated from the 60-day injured list, Smith is batting .105 (2-for-19).