MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs in Tuesday's 11-8 win over the Nationals.

Ozuna gave the Cardinals 1-0 and 5-4 leads with the two solo shots, which were his first hits since coming off the disabled list Saturday. The 27-year-old has a .272/.316/.414 slash line with 18 home runs and 71 RBI this season.

Pederson is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets.

As per usual, Pederson will retreat to the bench with left-hander Jason Vargas toeing the rubber for the Mets. Chris Taylor will start in left field and hit seventh in his stead.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani (back/finger) will throw two bullpen sessions this week -- one Wednesday and one Friday -- before determining if he'll start Sunday against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Scioscia said Ohtani will throw a light bullpen session Wednesday before ramping things up in Friday's session. If all goes well, it sounds like the two-way star won't be forced to miss a turn through the rotation. The injury apparently doesn't inhibit his offensive ability, as he's hitting second against the Rangers on Tuesday.

Belt (knee) is starting at first base and hitting third Tuesday against the Rockies, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt is back in action after getting Monday off to rest his bothersome knee. The 30-year-old, who is hitting .259/.346/.429 with 14 homers across 103 games this season, will face right-hander German Marquez in his first game back.

Vogelbach was called up by the Mariners on Tuesday.

Vogelbach hit just .212/.342/.333 in 25 games with the Mariners earlier in the year. He'll likely be little more than a bench bat over the final month of the season.

Ohtani (back/finger) returns to the lineup Tuesday against Texas, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani left his Sunday start early with both back stiffness and a sore finger. He didn't bat Monday, though he's always been rested the day after he pitches. It appears the injuries won't prevent him from hitting, though it remains to be seen whether they'll have any effect on his ability to pitch.

Choi is not in the lineup Tuesday against Toronto, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

Choi hasn't started against a single lefty since joining the Rays. That trend continues Tuesday with Ryan Borucki on the mound. Tommy Pham will be the designated hitter in his absence.

Brantley is not starting Tuesday against the Royals.

Brantley sits for just the third time since the All-Star break. He's hit a solid .295/.362/.404 in the second half, slightly down from his .308/.355/.493 first-half line. Brandon Guyer will start in left field in his absence.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a win over the Yankees on Monday.

Canha's fifth-inning, 407-foot shot to left closed out the scoring on the day and enabled him to tie the career high in home runs he'd established back during his rookie 2015 campaign. The 29-year-old has now gone deep in back-to-back contests following a power drought that stretched back to July 31, but his playing time remains somewhat in flux due to the emergence of Ramon Laureano.

Choi went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Blue Jays on Monday.

Choi's one-out, 451-foot shot to right center in the seventh put a cap on an impressive offensive performance by the Rays and served his first round tripper since Aug. 10. The 27-year-old has hit safely in each of the first three games of September, improving his season line to a solid .270/.346/.489 in the process. Given his increasing production, Choi should be locked in as the team's designated hitter on a regular basis.