MLB Player News

Ford has exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract with the Mariners, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Seattle will have 48 hours to either promote Ford or grant him his release. Ford has crushed Triple-A pitching with Tacoma this season, posting a 1.031 OPS with 13 home runs over 49 games.

Stanton was activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday.

The slugger wound up being sidelined for about seven weeks with a strained left hamstring. He played only one rehab game, but the Yankees evidently felt that was enough as he returns ahead of the weekend series against the Dodgers. Stanton is expected to play plenty in the outfield eventually, but he'll be limited to designated hitter duties for a couple weeks.

Blackmon was activated from the bereavement list Thursday.

Blackmon is back with the Rockies in time for Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Diamondbacks, in which he'll serve as the DH and leadoff man for Colorado. He went on bereavement leave Monday amidst a nine-game hitting streak and has slashed .333/.377/.587 over his last 17 games (69 plate appearances) dating back to May 8.

Encarnacion-Strand is hitting .352 with 14 home runs and a 25.2 percent strikeout rate in 33 games for Triple-A Louisville.

While he rarely sees a pitch he doesn't like, Encarnacion-Strand has the ability to get the barrel on the ball, even when he swings at a pitcher's pitch. His .380 ISO leads all qualified Triple-A hitters, and his future home park in Cincinnati will only enhance his home run prowess. Defensively, Encarnacion-Strand fits best at first base or designated hitter, although he has also started seven games at third base this year. While Encarnacion-Strand appears ready for a call to the majors, his teammate Elly De La Cruz also appears ready, and the Reds may not have room for both of them to play regularly in the short term.

Belt (illness) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Brewers.

Belt is dealing with a stomach bug and will miss a second straight start. Cavan Biggio will handle first base while Vladimir Guerrero slides into the designated hitter spot.

McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI double, two runs scored and one steal in Wednesday's 9-4 victory over San Francisco.

McCutchen recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season and continues to shine during his return to Pittsburgh. The veteran is slashing .273/.369/.453 over his first 49 games of his age-36 season, which would all be his highest marks since his last campaign with the Pirates in 2017. McCutchen will periodically take a day off to stay fresh, but he's locked into the top of the order when available and remains a versatile threat at the plate.

Canha went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Canha knocked in all four runs for New York, smashing a two-run homer in the third inning and stroking a two-run single in the fourth. The multi-hit performance was the first for the veteran since May 14, a span of 11 games. Canha had been struggling over that stretch, batting just .222 without an extra-base hit or RBI across 27 at-bats.

Stanton (hamstring) is headed to Los Angeles to rejoin the Yankees for their series against the Dodgers and could be activated from the injured list Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton has played just one rehab game following a nearly seven-week absence with a strained hamstring, but evidently the Yankees are convinced he's ready. He was in the designated hitter spot for that one rehab contest and the plan for him is to only DH for a couple weeks for the Yanks before eventually playing some in the outfield, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports. He's put up an .854 OPS with four homers in 13 games for the Bombers this season.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Wednesday that Jimenez has been bothered by a leg issue, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Jimenez was limited to DH duties in Wednesday afternoon's 12-5 blowout loss to the Angels, but Grifol said he expects the 26-year-old slugger to be able to play the outfield this weekend against the Tigers. Thursday's scheduled team off day should help the cause. Still, it's something to monitor moving forward.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with two homers, three runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 12-5 win over the White Sox.

Ohtani has now hit three homers in his last two games after blasting a pair of two-run shots off Lance Lynn on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Ohtani had been slumping a bit at the plate prior to his recent power surge -- he batted just .148 (8-for-54) over his previous 14 contests. He's now slashing .269/.345/.538 with 15 homers, 38 RBI and seven stolen bases through 243 plate appearances this season.