MLB Player News

Vogelbach figures to be the Mariners' primary designated hitter while Nelson Cruz (ankle) is out, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The burly first baseman has yet to get a hit in five regular-season at-bats, but he absolutely raked during spring training. He bashed seven homers and drove in 15 runs in Cactus League play, so he could be a cheap source of power for the next week if he can continue that hot streak. He may not see starts over the next couple games since the Mariners are playing in a National League park, however. Vogelbach's run of regular playing time seems likely to end around April 11 when Cruz is eligible to return to the lineup.

Miller is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller will sit against the left-handed Jordan Montgomery, as he's expected to do against many southpaws this season. C.J. Cron will play first base in his place.

Harper went 1-for-2 with four walks, a three-run home run and two additional runs scored in Monday's 8-1 win over the Braves.

The 25-year-old superstar is absolutely locked in at the plate to begin the season. Not only does Harper have three homers and seven RBI through four games, he's drawn six walks and has yet to strike out. It's no wonder Atlanta's organist greeted him with the Imperial March from Star Wars when he came to the plate Monday. With a massive free-agent payday awaiting him in the offseason, Harper has all the incentive he needs to post huge numbers in 2018.

Buxton went 0-for-4 and struck out twice Monday in Minnesota's loss to the Pirates.

Buxton has yet to find his groove at the plate, as he's gone 3-for-15 (.200) with six strikeouts over four games. However, he's been a threat when he's managed to reach base and has collected two stolen bases. After hitting .300 with an .893 OPS after the All-Star break last season, Buxton will have plenty of opportunities to continue improving as the season goes on.

Brantley (ankle) could be activated from the DL for Friday's game against the Royals, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

After playing in a minor-league game Tuesday, Brantley's ankle will be reevaluated. If he's in full health, it's possible that he could rejoin the big club for Cleveland's home-opener Friday. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Indians were cautious with Brantley, as the 30-year-old had an injury-filled 2017 season and played in just 90 games.

Turner (wrist) will resume swinging a bat next week, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner's rehab is going as planned, as it was expected that he'd be able to resume swinging three weeks after breaking his left wrist. Barring any setbacks, Turner should be in line to join the Dodgers around the middle of May.

Pederson is starting in center field and batting leadoff Monday against the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

With Chris Taylor getting a breather for the first time all season, Pederson will take his spot in center field and atop the order. Pederson hit .250/.333/.375 in 36 plate appearances as the Dodgers' No. 1 hitter last season, and he could once again serve as the team's leadoff man when he starts for Taylor.

Martinez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

With no designated hitter spot available in the Marlins' ballpark, Martinez will head to the bench for the first time all season. He's already picked up a pair of starts in the outfield, so look for him to rejoin the lineup as the team's left fielder for Tuesday's contest.

Ozuna went 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBI in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Mets.

After going hitless with five strikeouts in his first nine at-bats with the Cardinals, Ozuna broke through in the third inning Sunday, roping a double to deep left to score Tommy Pham. He would go on to collect two more base hits in his final three at-bats of the afternoon, giving him some confidence heading into the Cardinals' three-game series in Milwaukee that begins Monday. Since he hasn't struck out in more than 23 percent of his plate appearances the past three campaigns, Ozuna should be less prone to the extended slumps that often befall most power hitters over the course of a long season.

Martinez started in left field for a second consecutive day and went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rays.

Martinez, who got his first hit in a Red Sox uniform Saturday, knocked in his first run Sunday. He's off to a slow start, going 3-for-15 over the first four games of the season, something that can be attributed to a late start after signing at the end of February. He talked about his timing being off, so it's important manager Alex Cora get Martinez regular at-bats while handing out rest days to others. We expect to see Martinez in the lineup regularly, whether at designated hitter or left field.