MLB Player News

Ohtani won't be in the lineup as a hitter Tuesday, but he will start on the mound against Houston, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Manager Dave Roberts stated after Monday's game that he was initially going to have Ohtani hit as well Tuesday, but he's since changed his made. The Dodgers have made it a point to give Ohtani a day off when they can, even if it means limiting him to pitching only on his turn through the rotation. It's fair to expect the two-way star to be back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale.

Vientos went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers in Sunday's win over the Angels.

Vientos powered the Mets' offense, getting the club on the board with a two-run blast in the fourth inning before extending the lead in the ninth frame with another two-run shot. It marked the 26-year-old's first multi-homer game of the season and his first long ball since April 18. After a brutal cold spell in the middle of April, Vientos may be starting to heat up, with his OPS up to .737 across 26 contests after entering Sunday's game at .650.

Ozuna went 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's 17-7 rout of the Reds.

The six combined runs and RBI were a season high for the veteran DH, while the multi-hit performance was Ozuna's first since April 18. It's been a tough start to his first campaign with Pittsburgh, and even after Saturday's effort he's slashing .185/..254/.306 with three homers and 13 RBI in 28 games.

Torrens signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract extension with the Mets on Saturday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Torrens' extension will ensure that he sticks with the Mets through the 2028 season. The 30-year-old backstop has struggled at the plate this season, logging a .467 OPS through 31 plate appearances, but he makes up for his lack of offensive production with his incredible defensive skills. He'll likely continue serving as a backup to Francisco Alvarez as long as the two are both in Queens.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk Friday against the Reds.

Ozuna went yard in the fifth inning to record his third home run of the season and first since April 18 -- a span of 10 games and eight starts. He continues to hit poorly to begin the year, as he's batting just .118 with a 32.4 percent strikeout rate in his last 10 contests. Ozuna remains Pittsburgh's primary designated hitter, but he has been out of the lineup for three of the team's last seven games and could continue to see his playing time slip.

Vientos is not in the Mets' starting lineup against the Angels on Friday.

Vientos will take a seat for Friday's series opener while Brett Baty draws the start at first base and bats fifth. Vientos has reached base safely in six of his last seven games, and over that span he has gone 6-for-22 (.273) with two RBI and a 4:7 BB:K.

Torrens went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in Thursday's loss to the Nationals.

The Mets have bigger problems right now than the production they're getting from their No. 2 catcher, but Torrens has still gone just 2-for-18 without a run or an RBI over his last eight appearances dating back to April 9. He'll continue providing Francisco Alvarez with occasional breathers, but Torrens isn't making any kind of case for a bigger role.

Vientos will start at first base and bat cleanup in Thursday's game against the Nationals.

Vientos appeared to fade into a part-time role a couple of weeks ago, but he's re-emerged as a more stable member of the lineup since Jorge Polanco (wrist) was placed on the injured list April 18. Vientos will claim his ninth start in 11 games Thursday, despite producing a lackluster .231/.333/.346 slash line to go with one home run and two RBI over the prior 10 contests.

Ozuna is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Cardinals.

Ozuna is slumping again after a brief hot streak, having gone just 3-for-30 with a 1:11 BB:K over his last nine games. As a result, he has now been absent from the lineup three times in the last six contests. Ryan O'Hearn will get a start at designated hitter Thursday.

Ohtani (2-1) took the loss against Miami on Tuesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out nine batters over six innings.

Ohtani was his own worst enemy in the second inning, as he hit Agustin Ramirez with a pitch and subsequently committed a throwing error to gift the Marlins a run. The two-way star yielded just one more run -- only his second earned run allowed so far this season -- the rest of the way, but the usually potent Dodgers offense was able to muster up just one run of support. Ohtani wasn't his sharpest Tuesday, especially in terms of control (his four walks were a season high), but he still pitched very well with 13 whiffs, nine punchouts and his fifth consecutive quality start to begin the campaign. Ohtani didn't serve as a hitter Tuesday, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the team could occasionally hold Ohtani out from hitting on days he pitches throughout the campaign, per Jack Harris of the California Post. If that happens often enough, it could have a small impact on Ohtani's offensive stats, though it may also help him continue his dominance on the mound. As it stands, he's been one of baseball's most effective hurlers in the early portion of the season, recording a 0.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 34:9 K:BB through 30 innings.