MLB Player News

Ohtani (elbow) took live batting practice and participated in a simulated game prior to Saturday's game in Baltimore.

It's the second straight day of batting practice for Ohtani, and facing live pitchers during the simulated game represents a big step for his potential return as a designated hitter. The Angels indicated the 23-year-old's pitching prospects for 2018 will be reevaluated in three weeks after he receives a PRP injection, but he could seemingly return to the team as a DH as soon as next week's series in Seattle.

Manager Paul Molitor said Saturday that there's no guarantee Buxton (toe) will be recalled once his 20-day rehab assignment ends, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton is currently on Day 12 of his latest rehab stint, so the Twins have roughly a week to make a decision. The 24-year-old has hit safely in six of nine games since reporting to Triple-A Rochester, but only once has he had multiple hits, leading to a .206/.250/.324 slash line. It sounds like the Twins want Buxton to get more comfortable at the plate while also giving Jake Cave a bit more time to make an impression.

Cespedes (hip/quad) has still not begun running again, and he didn't join his teammates in the clubhouse for this weekend's series in Miami despite the fact that he's rehabbing at the Mets' spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, just a couple of hours away, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports. "He's not going to join us here in Miami," manager Mickey Callaway announced Friday afternoon. "We thought it would probably hinder his rehab to come here for a couple days. We'll keep him in Port St. Lucie and continue what he's doing."

Unfortunately, what Cespedes is doing right now still doesn't amount to much, and his timetable for a return to the big-league lineup remains very murky. Callaway did say the outfielder was "feeling a lot better," but given his inactivity and long layoff, activation from the disabled list before the All-Star break is basically off the table at this point, and it's possible Cespedes may not even return by the end of July if he doesn't show real progress soon.

Harper went 1-for-3 with three walks, three runs scored and three RBI in Friday's rout of the Phillies.

The homer was his first since June 9 and his 20th of the season, moving Harper into a tie with Nolan Arenado for the National League lead. While he hasn't been putting the ball over the fence much, Harper has otherwise looked like his usual self recently, slashing .290/.465/.613 over his last 10 games with eight of his nine hits going for extra bases (seven doubles, one home run) and an 11:9 BB:K.

Turner went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 3-1 loss to the Rockies on Friday.

Turner homered for the second consecutive game and for the third time over his last six contests. The third baseman's power was understandably sapped following his initial return from a wrist injury, but the recent uptick in long balls is a great sign that Turner can begin performing like his former All-Star self.

Reed started at first base Friday in place of Yulieski Gurriel (personal) and went 0-for-3 in a 3-2 loss to the Rays.

Reed made no impact as a hitter, but he was involved in a game-deciding sequence in the field. He was unable to scoop a low throw that paved the way for two unearned runs to score. Reed made his first start since being called up from Triple-A Fresno on Thursday, when Gurriel left the team on paternity leave. Gurriel is expected to return no later than Sunday.

The White Sox will consider promoting Jimenez to the majors this season if he forces their hand, according to director of player development Chris Getz, Max Gelman of MiLB.com reports.

While it's easy to turn this story into an attention-grabbing headline, there's not a lot of substance here, as there are plenty of qualifiers and no guarantees. It's not clear exactly what level of performance would force the team's hand, and even then, Getz only says they would consider promoting their top prospect. There is much more to be gained by keeping Jimenez down until mid-April 2019 than to promote him this summer in a non-competitive season. Jimenez, who was already promoted to Triple-A Charlotte on June 21, is hitting .250/.351/.438 with two home runs and a 5:4 K:BB in 37 plate appearances at the highest level of the minor leagues.

Ohtani (elbow) took batting practice on the field again Friday and said afterward that he "felt great," Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Friday's batting practice session marked Ohtani's second in as many days, and he could progress to taking live batting practice as soon as this weekend. The Angels have made it clear that they plan to have Ohtani return as a hitter this season, and given how well he's responded so far to his hitting program, a return as the DH before the All-Star break or shortly thereafter seems entirely possible. As far as pitching goes, Ohtani was recently treated with a PRP injection in his pitching elbow and the team will follow up in three weeks or so to determine if a return to the mound is realistic for this season.

Rooker went 2-for-4 with two home runs Thursday for Double-A Chattanooga. He's hitting .265/318/.495 with 13 home runs in 71 games.

Rooker continues to display impressive power but he still has a problematic 28.5 percent strikeout rate and a walk rate that has declined to seven percent at Double-A. His age (23) also would appear to cap the upside of the 2017 1st-round draft pick. Despite those flaws, he continues to produce at each level.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's loss to the Rockies.

McCutchen has turned things around in the month of June, slashing .300/.342/.540 with five homers, 16 RBI, 17 runs and a pair of steals over 108 plate appearances. The 31-year-old should continue to provide solid contributions across the five main offensive fantasy categories while batting in the heart of the Giants' order.