MLB Player News

Ohtani (finger) is starting at designated hitter and batting third Tuesday against the Twins.

He checked out fine after getting hit on the right hand by a pitch in Monday's game, and won't have to miss any action as a result. Ohtani is hitting .250 with two home runs in 55 plate appearances this season.

Stanton (shoulder) will "probably not" be ready to return to the Yankees during this weekend's series in Kansas City, according to manager Aaron Boone, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Boone did note that Stanton may move his rehab to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this weekend, so it seems like we could see him back early next week for the home series against the Padres.

Martinez is sick, which is why he is out of the lineup for the second day in a row Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

We knew he must be dealing with something for him to miss two straight games in an American League ballpark, and an illness seems like the best-case scenario. Mitch Moreland starts at DH and Steve Pearce starts at first base in his absence. Martinez should be considered questionable for Wednesday's game in Toronto.

Pederson is not starting Tuesday against the Rays, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson sits against a righty (Hunter Wood) for just the second time all season, though the Rays' opener strategy is designed in part to throw off platoons like the one the Dodgers use in left field. Chris Taylor gets the start in his place.

Martinez is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Blue Jays for the second day in a row, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Considering this is his second day off in a row in an American League ballpark, Martinez is probably dealing with an injury of some sort. In the meantime, Mitch Moreland starts at DH while Steve Pearce starts at first base.

Choi was a late addition to Tuesday's lineup against the Dodgers, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports. He will hit third and play first base against lefty Clayton Kershaw.

Without the platoon advantage, Choi was originally slated to sit this one out, but Yandy Diaz (wrist) was a late scratch. Once Diaz is fully healthy, Choi should continue to sit against tough lefties.

Choi is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The Rays have routinely stashed Choi on the bench against left-handed starters this season, so it's no surprise that he's out of the lineup with Clayton Kershaw twirling for the Dodgers. Yandy Diaz will slide across the diamond to fill in for Choi at first base.

Winker is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

Winker doesn't seem to have fully earned manager David Bell's trust when lefties are starting for the opposition. The outfielder will sit for the second time in three matchups versus southpaws after he was benched over the weekend when Rich Hill started for the Dodgers. Jose Peraza replaces Winker in left field as the Brewers bring Gio Gonzalez to the hill in the series opener.

Reyes went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer Monday against the Diamondbacks, providing all the offense the Padres would need in their 2-1 victory.

Reyes' sixth-inning shot off Luke Weaver put his team up by one, and the bullpen would do its job the rest of the way. The outfielder's 15 homers tie him for fourth in the league, and his .258 batting average could easily go up should his .247 BABIP rise as expected, with Statcast putting his expected batting average at .299.

Ohtani was cleared of any structural damage to his right ring finger after the X-rays he required following Monday's 3-1 loss to the Twins returned negative, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani was struck on the hand by a pitch in his eighth-inning plate appearance and was pulled from the contest. One batter later, the Angels lost Andrelton Simmons to what appeared to be a significant ankle sprain, with manager Brad Ausmus noting after the game that Simmons' setback was a greater concern than Ohtani's. The 24-year-old phenom's test results support the notion that he avoided a serious injury, but it's possible that Ohtani is still withheld from action while he manages pain in his right hand. Ohtani is slashing .250/.345/.375 with two home runs and a 30.9 percent strikeout rate through 55 plate appearances this season.