MLB Player News

Ohtani (ankle) is batting fifth and serving as the designated hitter Tuesday against the Orioles.

As expected, Ohtani is back in the lineup for the first time since injuring his ankle against the Yankees on Friday. The 23-year-old, who is hitting an impressive .341/.383/.682 with four homers through 12 games this season, will face righty Alex Cobb in his return to the lineup. Barring any setbacks, Ohtani figures to take the mound during the team's three-game series against the Mariners this weekend.

Miller is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Tigers.

Miller is hitting below the Mendoza Line in his limited opportunities against left-handers this season, so he'll retreat to the bench for a night off with southpaw Matt Boyd taking the hill for Detroit. C.J. Cron will move to first base to replace him, allowing Rob Refsnyder to log a start as the designated hitter.

Cabrera (biceps) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rays, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

This is the second consecutive game Cabrera will miss due to the biceps spasms he incurred Sunday. He is feeling improvement per Jason Beck of MLB.com, and the hope is that he'll return to action Wednesday. Niko Goodrum will replace him at first base for the evening.

Cespedes is in the lineup Tuesday against the Braves, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cespedes won't end up missing a single start with the thumb injury he suffered Sunday against the Padres. He'll bat third and play left field. The veteran slugger has seen his strikeout rate double this year, jumping from 19 percent last season to 38.1 percent. The strikeouts have killed his batting average, which sits at just .233 after being .280 or above in each of the last three seasons.

Harper has been bumped up to the leadoff spot Tuesday against the Pirates.

It's the first time Harper has hit anywhere other than third this season and the first time he's led off since 2013. Harper is certainly an unconventional leadoff hitter given his immense power, but his .458 on-base percentage is excellent for a table-setter. If Harper starts leading off on a regular basis, he'd trade RBI for runs, a largely neutral move for fantasy purposes, though his total number of plate appearances would increase, giving him more chances to hit home runs.

Cespedes (thumb) is on track to play Tuesday against the Braves, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Cespedes' thumb injury wasn't considered particularly serious, but he was expected to miss at least a few games. He may not end up missing a single one, though, as the issue appears to be even less serious than the Mets originally thought. His thumb became sore Saturday after he slid into third base and was removed from the game, but the Mets' off day Monday may end up being the only rest he needed.

Vogelbach is 4-for-17 with a double, two home runs, two RBI, three walks and three runs over 20 plate appearances since being demoted to Triple-A Tacoma last Wednesday.

The burly infielder began the season with the Mariners, but he headed down to the Rainiers once Ryon Healy returned from a disabled list stint due to an ankle injury. Vogelbach scuffled again during his latest big-league stop, slashing just .204/.317/.352 over 63 plate appearances prior to his demotion. He could certainly thrive against Triple-A arms in similar fashion to a 2017 minor-league campaign during which he hit .290 with 42 extra-base hits (25 doubles and 17 home runs) and 83 RBI over 125 games.

Miller went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Tigers on Monday.

Miller squared up for his second home run of the season in the ninth, following a go-ahead two-run blast by C.J. Cron earlier in the frame. The 28-year-old infielder has progressively climbed his way out of his early-season doldrums since returning from a nine-game absence due to a groin injury, hitting safely in seven of nine contests, including six straight.

Turner (wrist) hit off a tee Monday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner has continued making progress recovering from the broken wrist that he suffered during spring training. The team indicated that if he continues improving as he has been, it's not out of question for him to return by mid-May, although a more definitive timeframe should come into focus when Turner begins a rehab assignment.

Cabrera (biceps) is not in the lineup Monday against the Rays, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cabrera left Sunday's game against the Orioles with biceps spasms. His condition was reportedly improving later in the day, but he'll still miss at least one game. John Hicks will start at first base in his place.