MLB Player News

Cespedes (hip) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Cespedes will serve as designated hitter Friday and play the field Saturday for the Rumble Ponies before being re-evaluated. Earlier this week it was reported the 32-year-old wouldn't require a rehab stint, so if everything checks out after Saturday he could seemingly return to the Mets in short order.

Manager Alex Cora said Martinez (back) will return to the starting lineup for Saturday's game, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Although there's a chance that Martinez will not feel well enough to play Saturday, this is another positive sign that his back tightness is just a minor blip on the radar and nothing more after the 30-year-old was forced to exit Thursday's contest. Through 60 games this year, he's hitting a robust .314/.374/.646 with 20 home runs and 52 RBI.

Martinez (back) was held out of Friday's lineup against the White Sox, Sean McAdam of the BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

Manager Alex Cora seemed optimistic that Martinez would be able to play following Thursday's exit with back tightness, but it seems as though the outfielder would benefit from receiving a day off to recover. In his place, Brock Holt will get a start in right field and bat second. Consider Martinez day-to-day for Saturday's game, with a chance that he will be available off the bench if needed during Friday's tilt.

Ohtani (finger) was put on the 10-day disabled list due to a Grade 2 ulnar collateral ligament sprain after receiving a stem cell injection and platelet-rich plasma treatment Thursday afternoon. The Angels will re-evaluate his status in three weeks.

The Angels added that they will "update his plan of care" once he's re-examined by team doctors at the three-week point. This announcement comes as a surprise following Ohtani's removal from Wednesday's outing due to a blister, as this could keep the 23-year-old sidelined until after the All-Star Game, depending on how quickly he recovers. Don't expect Ohtani to return until the first week of July at the earliest, though that seems optimistic as the club will likely be as cautious as possible with its budding superstar.

Vogelbach was called up from Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Vogelbach has played in 22 games for Seattle this year, hitting just .200 with a .666 OPS and five RBI in 72 plate appearances. He will likely be utilized as a backup first baseman/DH behind Ryon Healy and Nelson Cruz during this stint in the majors, though he is in the starting nine for Friday's contest versus Tampa Bay, playing first base and batting ninth.

Ohtani (finger) will be skipped in the Angels' rotation and could land on the disabled list in the coming days, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

The right-hander is set to miss at least one start after suffering a blister on his middle finger during Wednesday's outing. Due to Ohtani's unique role as a designated hitter as well as a pitcher, the Angels may elect to keep him off the disabled list while he continues to provide offensive value. That could be seen as a risk in the event that his blister gets aggravated due to swinging a bat, though that hasn't been the case in the past when dealing with this issue. Since the Angels are able to backdate his potential trip to the DL up to three days, the club will have a little time to figure out the best course of action.

Turner (wrist) was brought in as part of a double switch Thursday, but he did not record a plate appearance in an 8-7 win over the Pirates.

Turner was held out of the starting lineup after manager Dave Roberts noticed his slugging third baseman was still struggling with the wrist injury that cost him the first month and a half of the season. Wrist injuries -- along with hamate bone injuries -- take the longest for hitters to fully recover their power from, and the 33-year-old's .243/.325/.343 slash line in 20 games since his return from the DL is another example of that. Turner's spot in the order never came around after he entered Thursday's contest as a defensive replacement, but the fact that Roberts felt comfortable inserting him into the game bodes well for his prospects of returning to the startling lineup Friday against the Braves.

Martinez was removed early from Thursday's game with tightness in his back, but manager Alex Cora expects him to play Friday, Bill Ballou of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.

Martinez started in right field Thursday before being replaced by Brock Holt. This was the second time this week that Martinez left a game with back issues, which is something to monitor in the coming days.

Martinez was removed from Thursday's game against the Tigers with minor back tightness, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Manager Alex Cora put Brock Holt in for Martinez to start the eighth inning, but the reason behind the move wasn't made known until after the game. Martinez experienced back spasms Sunday against Houston as well, so this is the second time in a week that his back has given him trouble. Fortunately, Thursday's back issue is reportedly not as severe as what he dealt with against the Astros. Still, it'll be worth monitoring his status Friday before Boston's series opener against the White Sox.

Pederson clubbed a pair of home runs in Thursday's win over the Pirates. He finished the day 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.

Pederson's recent surge has resulted in five home runs since Friday. His streakiness is well documented, but when Pederson is seeing the ball well, he's an excellent source of power from the left side. It's also worth noting that Pederson hit leadoff for the third time in the last eight days, including Thursday, so it seems that manager Dave Roberts is at least open to occasionally hitting Pederson in the top third of the order.