MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani will start on the mound against the Mets on Wednesday but will not serve as the team's designated hitter, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

The decision to have Ohtani out of the lineup was tied to when he was hit by a David Peterson pitch during Monday's game against New York, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ohtani has gone 0-for-7 with one run scored over his last two outings and will have the opportunity to focus solely on pitching during Wednesday's contest. Dalton Rushing will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat seventh while Kyle Tucker moves up to the leadoff spot.

Baker started at first base and went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's 4-3 win over Baltimore.

Baker entered the starting nine after Ketel Marte (back) was scratched. That forced a lineup reshuffle with Ildemaro Vargas moving from first base to cover second and Baker getting his first start since being called up last week. Marte's injury is not considered serious, and Vargas could move back to first base for Wednesday afternoon's series finale.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Nationals.

After a recent two-game benching, Ozuna returned to the starting nine for all three contests of the Pirates' series versus the Cubs over the weekend but went just 1-for-12 with a walk and four strikeouts. Now sitting on a lowly .070/.167/.070 slash line over 48 plate appearances on the season, Ozuna could be in line for a part-time role at designated hitter until he turns a corner at the dish.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Sunday's loss to the Rangers.

After blasting a leadoff homer Saturday, Ohtani did it again Sunday, cranking Jacob deGrom's first-pitch fastball over the right-field wall. After going homerless through his first six games, Ohtani has launched five over his past nine contests and has recorded five multi-hit efforts during that span. The two-way star is off to a strong start at the plate overall, posting a .996 OPS through 73 plate appearances in 2026.

Vientos is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.

Vientos had settled in as the Mets' primary first baseman while Jorge Polanco (Achilles) is less than 100 percent but will hit the bench Sunday while in the midst of an 0-for-15 slump. Jared Young will take over at first base and bat third in the series finale versus the A's.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 6-3 victory versus Texas on Saturday.

After the Rangers' Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a homer, Ohtani returned the favor with a long ball of his own leading off the Dodgers' half of the first inning. The two-way star didn't go deep until his seventh game this season, but he's now homered four times over his past eight games. Ohtani has yet to steal a base this yet, but he's otherwise been quite productive, slashing .283/.412/.528 with the four long balls, nine RBI, eight runs and 11 walks through 14 games as a hitter while having yet to allow an earned run across 12 innings spanning two starts on the mound.

Ohtani didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Blue Jays, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk across six innings while striking out two. He went 0-for-3 with a walk at the plate.

Ohtani has delivered back-to-back quality starts to open his season on the mound. He's yet to give up an earned run across 12 innings, allowing just five hits and four walks while striking out eight in that span. Ohtani's next outing on the mound is tentatively scheduled for next week at home against the Mets. His hitless performance Wednesday ended a modest five-game hit streak, during which he went 9-for-24 with a double and three homers.

Vientos will start at first base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Vientos will remain in the starting nine for an eighth straight contest after going 9-for-23 with a home run, two doubles, five runs and two RBI over the previous seven games. Though he had been limited to a short-side platoon role to begin the season, Vientos should be in line for a regular spot in the lineup versus both left- and right-handed pitching while Juan Soto (calf) is on the injured list.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

For the third time in four games, Ozuna will hit the bench after getting off to a porous start to the season. Over 35 plate appearances, the veteran slugger is slashing just .065/.171/.065. Ozuna is still walking at a 11.4 percent clip, and his strikeout rate sits at a manageable 22.9 percent, so he'll have some hope for a turnaround if he can benefit from some better luck on balls in play.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres.

Ozuna went 0-for-4 in Monday's series opener, dropping his season slash line down to .065/.171/.065 through 35 plate appearances. Brandon Lowe is resting his legs as the designated hitter Tuesday, opening up second base for Nick Gonzales.