MLB Player News

Blackmon was removed from Saturday's extra-inning win due to back tightness, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

It seemed strange that the star center fielder was removed from the game prior to its conclusion, but nothing suggested that he was dealing with an injury. No word has come forth as to how severe the issue is, so consider Blackmon day-to-day for the time being. If Blackmon misses any time due to the injury, Mike Tauchman or Ian Desmond could see some extra starts in the outfield, with the latter option potentially allowing Ryan McMahon to log some time in the starting lineup.

Winker went 1-for-2 with two walks, one run scored and one RBI against the Pirates on Saturday.

With Scott Schebler out, Winker has enjoyed regular playing time leading off and playing right field. He has been impressive, posting a .538 on-base percentage. He still doesn't have any extra-base hits in 18 at-bats, but he has the potential to score plenty of runs with consistent playing time as long as Schebler remains out of the lineup.

Ozuna went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

He now has a six-game hitting streak going, during which Ozuna is a blistering 11-for-26 (.423). His 0:11 BB:K through eight games isn't ideal, but as long as the 27-year-old is hitting the ball with this much authority when he does make contact, the Cards should be very happy with their big offseason acquisition.

Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a walk and three RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win over the White Sox.

He drove in the first three Tigers runs with a bases-loaded single in the third inning and a groundout in the fifth. After a disappointing 2017, Cabrera now has eight RBI through his first seven games this season, and his .308/.400/.538 slash line is right in line with his career standards.

Martinez went 1-for-2 with a home run, two runs and two RBI against the Rays on Saturday.

Martinez's first Red Sox home run was a seventh-inning solo shot off Chaz Roe. He also drove in a run on a first-inning sacrifice fly. His opening six games had been something of a disappointment, as he was slashing just .240/.296/.360. It's still early, though, so the slugger has plenty of time to get on a roll.

Harper hit his fifth home run of the season in Saturday's loss to the Mets.

Harper's homer was a sixth-inning solo shot off of Hansel Robles. It gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead, which they relinquished the following inning. Harper is on a tear to start the year, with five home runs and a .292/.486/.917 line through his first eight games.

The Mariners are hopeful that Lewis (knee) will be ready for game action in early May, MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum reports.

He had his right knee scoped in February to address lingering pain stemming from his surgery to repair a torn ACL in July of 2016. While Lewis has appealing physical tools when healthy, he has missed so much developmental time due to this chronic knee issue that his prospect stock has slipped considerably. He turns 23 in July and has only played 38 games above rookie ball.

Cabrera (hip) is in the starting nine against the White Sox on Saturday.

Cabrera appears to be around 100 percent after exiting Thursday's game with hip flexor tightness. The veteran will man his typical position at first base and bat third in the order against Lucas Giolito during Saturday's matinee.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk while starting at DH in Friday's win over Oakland. He hit a home run for a third consecutive game, and it traveled the furthest (449 feet) and was his hardest hit (111 mph exit velocity) of his three, according to the Orange County Register.

Ohtani has quickly gone from looking overmatched against MLB pitching in spring training (4-for-32) to looking like an All-Star hitter in the regular season (he's hitting .389 with a 1.310 OPS). He's the first Angels rookie to homer in his first three games. Ohtani isn't expected to start at DH on Saturday, as he'll be rested the day ahead of his scheduled Sunday start on the mound.

Cabrera (hip) said he expects to be in the lineup Saturday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Cabrera left Thursday's game in the second inning with hip flexor tightness, but he immediately downplayed the injury after that contest, and it appears he'll be good to go moving forward, assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks. Cabrera is off to a good start this season, posting a .991 OPS through his first six games with a home run and five RBI.