MLB Player News

Jimenez (ankle) resumed running Sunday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Jimenez has been taking batting practice and is now running, though he's yet to run the bases. The young outfielder is expected to head out on a rehab assignment soon.

Ohtani's recovery from Tommy John surgery as a pitcher won't require him to miss days as a hitter until at least September, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani couldn't be the everyday designated hitter last season as he had to take days off to throw, but that won't be a problem this season as his arm isn't ready for that level of pitching work. Expect Ohtani to play nearly every game this season as long as his surgically repaired elbow handles the workload, forcing Albert Pujols and Justin Bour to split time at first base.

Ohtani will bat third and serve as the designated hitter in his first game back from Tommy John surgery.

Ohtani will slot in between Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons. He'll be limited to DH duties this season as his arm is still not ready for pitching. The 24-year-old will look to improve on his excellent .285/.361/.564 line from his rookie season as he focuses on just one side of the ball.

Ohtani (elbow) has been activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Tigers.

Ohtani was scheduled to be evaluated again Tuesday to determine his status moving forward, and he's evidently passed his examination with flying colors. The Angels have yet to release their starting lineup, but it's likely that Ohtani will make his return in the series opener out of the designated hitter slot.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and a walk Monday in Triple-A Round Rock's 6-5 win over San Antonio.

The long ball was Alvarez's 13th of the season, tying Reds farmhand Josh VanMeter for the Triple-A lead. With a monstrous 1.401 OPS and 18:22 BB:K mark through 121 plate appearances, the 21-year-old continues to build a strong case for a promotion to the big leagues, but the Astros would likely have to make some tough personnel choices in order to make room for him. As Jake Kaplan of The Athletic notes, the Astros would likely have to sell low on either Tony Kemp or Tyler White to make room for Alvarez, unless an injury intervenes. Both Kemp and White are out of minor-league options and would likely be lost to another club via trade or waivers if either is booted from the 40-man roster.

Carpenter went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in a win over the Phillies on Monday.

Carpenter is now a blistering 6-for-14 with a double, Monday's homer, three RBI and two runs over the last three games. The surge is a much-needed one for the veteran, whose average sat at .190 prior to the modest hot streak. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that manager Mike Shildt noted Carpenter's swing looked like it had "clicked" in batting practice before last Friday's game, and his assessment appears to be correct, at least for the moment. "I think we see Carp taking more consistent at-bats and being more Carp-like, so to speak," Shildt said. "His work has been very positive, and his bat has been really consistent."

Pederson is leading off and playing left field against the Braves on Monday.

Pederson sat the last two games with the Dodgers facing left-handed pitchers, but he gets the nod atop the order for this contest against Braves righty Kevin Gausman, who will get the start while he appeals a five-game suspension. Pederson is slashing .235/.345/.592 through 98 at-bats this year, 82 of which have come against right-handers.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

The Mariners will go with Jay Bruce as their designated hitter in the series opener, relegating the lefty-swinging Vogelbach to a bench role while southpaw CC Sabathia toes the rubber for New York. Vogelbach has opened plenty of eyes with a 1.119 OPS this season but has yet to solve lefties, who have limited him to two hits in 18 plate appearances.

Ohtani (elbow) will travel to Detroit ahead of the Angels' three-game series with the Tigers. The Angels plan to assess Ohtani's condition prior to Tuesday's game before providing an update on his availability.

The Angels have been coy regarding a target date for Ohtani's season debut, but comments Sunday from general manager Billy Eppler suggest it will happen at some point during the team's road trip. With Ohtani having recently completed the 40 plate appearances against live pitching the Angels said would be necessary before he returned, the team will have doctors take a look at the 24-year-old's elbow before a next step is determined. If nothing concerning turns up during the evaluation, it's possible Ohtani enters the lineup Tuesday as the Angels' designated hitter.

The Mets transferred Cespedes (heels) to the 60-day injured list Monday.

The transaction has no bearing on Cespedes' recovery timetable, as the Mets had already ruled him out beyond the first 60 days of the season. A firm target date for Cespedes' 2019 debut probably won't come into focus until the 33-year-old gets cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. At this stage in his rehab, Cespedes has been able to throw in the outfield and hit in the batting cage, but he has yet to initiate a running program.