MLB Player News

Ramirez went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs and four RBI in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader split against the Angels.

Ramirez appeared as a pinch hitter and grounded out in his only plate appearance in Game 1 before tallying a season-high four hits in Game 2. Among those knocks were a two-run double in the sixth inning and a two-run single in the eighth. Ramirez has been swinging a scorching stick of late, going 13-for-24 (.542) with three extra-base hits and eight RBI over his past six contests.

Buxton (hamstring) could play center field once he's deemed ready to return from the 10-day injured list, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton has exclusively served as the Twins' designated hitter this season in an effort to keep him healthy, but it's hard to call the plan a success. Even with the extreme caution, he's still landed on the IL twice, though as long as he returns in time to appear in eight more games, he will have reached the second-highest mark (93) of his career. His numbers at the plate (.207/.294/.438) have taken a considerable hit, however, which may or may not be linked with his role change. The Twins have yet to officially announce that he will indeed start outfield work as part of his rehab, but manager Rocco Baldelli said Saturday that the team was having conversations about the idea.

Belt will sit Saturday against the Reds.

As expected, Belt will hit the bench with a lefty (Brandon Williamson) on the mound for the opposition. He has just 32 plate appearances against southpaws this year, making just five starts. Davis Schneider will serve as the designated hitter.

Martinez isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez went 1-for-3 in his return to the lineup Friday and will sit out Game 1, allowing Will Smith to serve as the DH and Austin Barnes to start behind the plate. Assuming Martinez's nagging groin injury isn't an issue, the 35-year-old slugger will likely return for the nightcap.

Ford went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Astros on Friday.

Ford's sixth-inning blast off J.P. France accounted for the second and final run of the night. The journeyman slugger's round-tripper was his first since July 23, a 12-game span that saw Ford limp to a .063 average and .283 OPS while striking out at a 43.2 percent clip over 37 plate appearances. He's continued to log somewhat regular playing time despite the significant struggles, but it remains to be seen how much longer that will continue on a team contending for a wild-card spot.

Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI on Friday against the Angels.

Ramirez delivered RBI knocks in back-to-back at-bats and now has a five-game hitting streak. In that span, he's gone 10-for-18 with five RBI and four runs scored. Ramirez has gotten inconsistent playing time for much of the season, though the absences of Manuel Margot (elbow) and more recently Jose Siri (finger) have allowed Ramirez to start four of the Rays' last five games.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and two runs scored in Friday's loss to the Rays.

Ohtani gave the Angels a 5-1 lead with his grand slam in the second inning but it wasn't enough to hold off the Rays. After an eight-game homerless drought, he's gone deep three times in his last five appearances. In 32 games since the All-Star break, Ohtani owns an outstanding 1.149 OPS. His season line is up to .308/.407/.668 with 70 extra-base hits (43 homers) and 89 RBI through 121 games.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI on Friday against the White Sox.

Blackmon has at least one hit in all four games since returning from a hand injury, and he's reached base multiple times in each of his three starts. The Rockies have plenty of candidates for at-bats between designated hitter and the outfield, though Blackmon still looks to be in line for a consistent role and has occupied the leadoff spot upon his activation.

Martinez (groin) went 1-for-3 in Friday's 11-3 loss to the Marlins.

Martinez has dealt with a groin/hamstring issue that's bothered him for much of the month, leading to multiple absences. With a doubleheader on tap Saturday, it wouldn't be surprising to see him only play in one of the two games. He's gone 4-for-17 (.235) in August while managing the issue, dropping his slash line for the year to .259/.312/.552 through 91 contests.

Soler went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs, an additional run scored and a walk in Friday's 11-3 win over the Dodgers.

Soler took Tony Gonsolin deep on the second pitch of the game and then repeated the feat with a leadoff blast in the third. Through 15 games in August, Soler's racked up seven homers and 11 RBI while primarily hitting out of the leadoff spot versus right-handed pitchers. He's up to a .245/.335/.515 slash line with 32 long balls, 67 RBI, 67 runs scored, 20 doubles and a stolen base through 116 contests. His career high of 48 homers from 2019 is likely out of reach, but he's still had an impressive year in the power department.