MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani is on track make a start as a pitcher Wednesday against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, but the Dodgers haven't decided if Ohtani will hit during the game, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

While serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter in Tuesday's 15-6 win, Ohtani went 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored. After being struck on his right (pitching) hand during his plate appearance in the bottom of the fourth, Ohtani took his base but was removed from the contest the next time his turn in the batting order came up in the fifth. The Dodgers already held a nine-run lead at that point, and Roberts said afterward that Ohtani was merely removed as a precaution. Even so, while Ohtani shouldn't face any limitations with his workload as a pitcher, the Dodgers could still look to give him a break from hitting Wednesday. Ohtani has been included in the lineup for four of his first eight starts as a pitcher this season.

Schmitt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Schmitt made his impact early, going yard in the first inning and adding an RBI single in the third. Those were the only two runs the Giants produced against Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Schmitt has been an engine for run production lately, racking up six homers and 13 RBI over his last 10 games. He's now batting .298 with a .906 OPS, 12 long balls, 31 RBI, 26 runs scored, 10 doubles, one triple and three stolen bases over 47 contests. Schmitt has the ability to move around the diamond, but he has a clearer path to playing time in left field while Heliot Ramos (quadriceps) is on the mend. Schmitt has also seen time at first base, second base and designated hitter over the last week.

Del Castillo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Giants.

Del Castillo hadn't gone yard since May 3 versus the Cubs. He hit a meager .136 over 16 games during the power drought, adding just six RBI and a 6:16 BB:K before his long ball Tuesday. For the season, the 26-year-old is hitting .191 with a .586 OPS, four homers, 19 RBI, eight runs scored and four doubles across 120 plate appearances. Del Castillo continues to play regularly versus right-handed pitchers, splitting his time between designated hitter and catcher, though he's done nothing to challenge for a spot higher in the order.

Alvarez went 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.

Houston fell behind 8-0 after one inning, but Alvarez led a near comeback. He got the Astros on the board with a three-run homer in the third frame and added a solo shot in the eighth. Alvarez has gone deep three times over two contests since sitting out Sunday due to a back injury. He continues to put up huge numbers for his fantasy managers, slashing .303/.414/.631 with 18 home runs, 34 runs, 37 RBI and one stolen base through 55 games.

Pederson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Tuesday in a 10-7 win against the Astros.

Pederson struck out to lead off Texas' half of the first inning, but he redeemed himself in the same frame with a three-run homer to cap an eight-run inning. Remarkably, the long ball gave Pederson his first multi-RBI game of the season. While he's improved his batting average to .234 after hitting just .181 last season, Pederson has otherwise struggled to produce -- he has only four homers and 14 RBI across 151 plate appearances.

Suarez went 2-for-5 with a two-run double during the Reds' 7-2 win over the Mets on Tuesday.

Suarez got the Reds on the board early after his double to center field brought home both Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart. They were the first RBI that Suarez has recorded since he was activated from the 10-day IL on Friday, and he has logged two hits in back-to-back games.

Soto went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Reds on Tuesday.

Soto supplied the Mets' lone runs Tuesday, smacking a two-run homer off Chase Burns in the sixth inning. It was the 11th home run of the season for Soto, eight of which have come in May. Over his last 14 games, he has gone 17-for-49 (.347) with four steals, seven home runs and 13 RBI.

Springer went 3-for-4 with an RBI single and a steal during Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Marlins.

Springer contributed to the Blue Jays' six-run sixth inning with an RBI single and a steal before coming around to score on a Jesus Sanchez grand slam off Sandy Alcantara. Springer's three hits are a season high, and it was his seventh multi-hit game of the season. He hasn't been great at the plate this season, but Tuesday's performance brought him to a .214 batting average for the year. Springer has gone 11-for-38 (.289) with five extra-base hits (including three home runs), six RBI, two steals and five runs scored over his last nine games.

Bell is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox.

Bell will get a breather after he had started in each of Minnesota's last seven games while going 7-for-26 (.269 average) with two home runs, three walks, five RBI and three runs. With Bell taking a seat, Byron Buxton will get a night off from playing the outfield but will stick in the lineup at designated hitter.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

The Mets are sending a lefty (David Peterson) to the bump for the second game of the series, so the left-handed-hitting Lowe will retreat to the bench. Spencer Steer will cover first base in place of Lowe, who went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a run in the Reds' 8-2 win Monday in the series opener.