MLB Player News

Though Tommy John surgery has been recommended for Ohtani's (right) pitching elbow, four independent doctors told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that the 24-year-old would still be able to hit on a full-time basis in 2019 even if he undergoes the procedure.

Ohtani certainly showed no signs of the damaged UCL tendon affecting him at the plate Wednesday against the Rangers, as the rookie slotted in at designated hitter and went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a walk, a stolen base and four runs in the Angels' 9-3 triumph. Because Ohtani hits from the left side of the plate, doctors believe the biomechanical elements of his swing likely wouldn't harm a repaired ligament in his right elbow, thereby allowing him to regularly man the DH spot while he spends the next 12-plus months healing up from the surgery. According to one of the surgeons Passan interviewed, Ohtani would likely be unable to take batting practice until around the three-month mark in his recovery from any procedure while he waits for a process called ligamentization to take place, but that would still put him on track for spring training if he goes under the knife early in the offseason. The Angels will almost certainly field more medical opinions before deciding on the best course of action for their young phenom, but it appears there's optimism that Ohtani will be able to take the diamond in some capacity in 2019, though likely not as a two-way player.

Ohtani (elbow) went 4-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, four runs scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Rangers.

The Angels are faced with a tough decision on if and when to shut Ohtani down and send him for Tommy John surgery, and the two-way superstar isn't making it any easier for them by heating up at the plate. He's now gone 11-for-24 (.458) with five homers in his last eight games as a hitter, pushing his slash line on the season to a robust .287/.367/.579.

Ohtani (elbow) is slated to DH and bat third Wednesday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels announced Wednesday that Ohtani has been recommended for Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed new damage to his UCL. That announcement was made after the lineup was released but there have been no reported changes to the lineup, so it seems Ohtani will be allowed to continue hitting for the time being. Ohtani homered Tuesday -- his first homer off a lefty in the big leagues.

The Angels have recommended Ohtani (elbow) undergo Tommy John surgery, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The two-way superstar made just one start before re-injuring his elbow. Ohtani underwent an MRI on Wednesday which revealed new damage to his UCL. He'll likely head for second opinions before a decision on surgery is made, but this is brutal news for Ohtani and the Angels.

Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a two-run single, two walks and a run in a win over the Nationals on Tuesday.

Carpenter once again excelled in a table-setting role, getting on base multiple times for the fourth time in the last five games. The veteran has been a bit quiet by his standards on the power front recently (four extra-base hits, including one home run, in the last 13 games), but he's made up for it with a whopping .407 on-base percentage (20.4 percent walk rate) over that stretch.

Martinez is out of the lineup versus the Braves on Wednesday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Martinez will receive a standard day off following eight straight starts as the Red Sox wrap up a three-game set in Atlanta. Manager Alex Cora said last weekend that he wanted to give Martinez at least one breather this series. Look for him to rejoin the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against Houston.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a run and a stolen base in Tuesday's win over the visiting Giants.

Blackmon slashed three singles and swiped his 12th bag of the year Tuesday, securing his third straight multi-hit game and his third stolen base in his last four games. The run also gives Blackmon an NL-leading 100 on the year, and he's now reached 100 runs scored in three consecutive seasons. The outfielder is hitting .284/.351/.477 with 23 home runs and 57 RBI this year.

Harper went 1-for-2 with a double, two RBI and three walks in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals.

The Cardinals have shown zero interest in pitching to Harper through the first two games of the series, as he is 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, five RBI and six walks in 11 plate appearances. The 25-year-old has drawn at least one walk in each of his last eight games.

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.