MLB Player News

Choi (ear/head) remains out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Toronto, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi wasn't expected to require a lengthy absence after avoiding a concussion following a home-plate collision with Gary Sanchez on Tuesday, but he now finds himself on the bench for the fourth straight game. Austin Meadows will be the designated hitter Saturday.

Turner went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run to help the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Giants on Friday.

The 33-year-old's fifth-inning blast off Madison Bumgarner turned out to be the decisive blow in this contest, bringing his homer total up to 14 on the season. Turner has been limited to 354 at-bats due to injury in 2018, but he's put up fabulous numbers in the time he's been on the field, as he's boasting an elite .316/.409/.525 slash line.

Ohtani went 3-for-3 with a double, two singles, two RBI, one run and a stolen base in Friday's win over the Athletics.

Ohtani snagged his 10th steal of the year, as he continues to put together an impressive rookie season at the plate. The 24-year-old now has a .289 batting average to go along with 21 doubles, 22 home runs and 61 RBI over 359 plate appearances in 2018.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 8-4 loss to the Cubs.

Ozuna plated a run in the sixth inning on a single to left field, but the Cubs would ultimately take the series opener 8-4. The 27-year-old has gone 10-for-37 with two extra-base hits and five RBI over his previous 10 games, and he'll need to step up during the final two games of the regular season if the Cardinals have a chance to make the wild-card game.

Pederson is out of Friday's starting nine versus San Francisco, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Pederson will retreat to a spot on the pine with left-hander Madison Bumgarner pitching for the Giants. Manager Dave Roberts will trot out an outfield of Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Matt Kemp.

Turner (thumb) will man third base and bat second against the Giants on Friday, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Turner won't miss any time after suffering a minor thumb injury during Wednesday's loss to Arizona. Dating back to Sept. 9, Turner has slashed a robust .371/.459/.565 with 10 extra-base hits and eight RBI.

Choi (ear/head) remains out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi avoided a concussion after colliding with Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez at home plate Tuesday but will now sit for the third straight game, despite initial reports suggesting he may require just a single day off. C.J. Cron will again be the Rays' designated hitter Friday.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with two home runs, two RBI, two walks and three runs in Thursday's 12-1 victory over the Rays.

Stanton added some insurance runs for the Yankees with solo shots in the sixth and ninth innings, his 36th and 37th home runs of the season. Although he hasn't produced anywhere near his MVP numbers from 2017, Stanton has still slugged his way to a .262/.341/.502 slash line with 33 doubles, 97 RBI and 101 runs this year as the 2018 regular season comes to a close.

Brantley is not in the lineup versus Kansas City on Thursday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brandon Guyer will give Brantley a spell in left field for the series finale as manager Terry Francona allows a few of his regulars the night off with the postseason right around the corner. In 19 games this month, Brantley is hitting .351 with a .923 OPS.

Turner required an X-ray on his left thumb following the Dodgers' 7-2 loss Wednesday to the Diamondbacks, Pedro Moura of The Athletic reports. Though X-rays returned negative, manager Dave Roberts said the third baseman is "a little sore."

Turner, who went 1-for-4 at the plate in the loss, hurt the thumb when he fielded a hard-hit ball off the bat of Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth inning. Considering X-rays revealed no structural damage and Turner was able to shake off the injury and stay in the game, it doesn't look to be a major concern. He seems in little jeopardy of sitting out the Dodgers' three-game series in San Francisco to close out the season, especially with the team in a tight battle for both the NL West title and a wild-card spot.