MLB Player News

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.

Rooker went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Orioles.

Rooker was a bright spot for the Athletics in this contest. He's gone 9-for-27 (.333) with three extra-base hits over his last seven games. The outfielder is up to a .246/.332/.466 slash line with 19 home runs, 15 doubles, 50 RBI, 42 runs scored and two stolen bases through 101 contests in his first full major-league season.

Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning of Friday's 1-0 win over the Blue Jays.

The Reds and Blue Jays were locked in a scoreless tie with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Jordan Hicks hung a slider, and Encarnacion-Strand launched it 411 feet for the game's only run. It was the first walk-off hit in the 23-year-old's career, and Encarnacion-Strand now has four home runs in his first 28 big-league contests.

Ohtani is scheduled to start Wednesday versus the Reds after having his last start skipped due to fatigue, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels elected to be cautious with their two-way superstar this week, but Ohtani is on track to face the Reds on Aug. 23 in what would be his first start in two weeks. Ohtani hasn't allowed an earned run over his last three starts, although one of them was abbreviated due to a hand cramp.

Martinez (groin) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter Friday against the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez was a late scratch from Thursday's game against Milwaukee, but he'll return after just a one-game absence. The 35-year-old has been in a bit of a slump recently, slashing just .214/.353/.357 since the start of August.