MLB Player News

Martinez will be on the bench for Friday's game against Baltimore, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Kyle Schwarber will be the designated hitter in both his first game back from a hamstring injury and his first game as a member of the Red Sox. While designated hitter may be Schwarber's best fit on most teams, Martinez is clearly far too good to fall out of the regular lineup, so the Red Sox will have to play one of the two sluggers in the outfield (or potentially first base, in Schwarber's case) most of the time.

Canha will sit Friday against Texas.

Canha had started every game since returning from the injured list back in mid-July. He hasn't been at his best over that 22-game stretch, hitting a modest .222/.388/.296, though his 14:14 K:BB is an encouraging sign. Tony Kemp will be the left fielder Friday.

Ramirez (knee) was placed on the injured list Friday.

Ramirez left Wednesday's game against Oakland with right knee tightness, an issue which is evidently serious enough to cost him at least 10 days. The transaction was backdated to Thursday, so he'll be eligible to return Aug. 22. Infielder Yu Chang was called up in a corresponding move.

Turner (groin) is out of the lineup Friday against the Mets, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Manager Dave Roberts previously said the veteran third baseman wouldn't be available for Friday's contest, so this is an expected absence. It's the fourth consecutive game on the bench for Turner since he exited Sunday's contest with groin discomfort. The 36-year-old is expected to be evaluated Saturday, when it will likely be determined whether a trip to the injured list is necessary.

Choi will sit Friday against Minnesota, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row, both of which have come against righties. He's had a poor showing thus far in August, going just 2-for-22 at the plate with 11 strikeouts. Yandy Diaz will start at first base in his absence.

Vientos has not played since Aug. 3 for Double-A Binghamton after being removed from that game due to "health and safety protocols," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets have not released any updates about Vientos since, so the logical conclusion given the length of his absence is a positive test for COVID-19. The 21-year-old is having a strong campaign at Double-A, slashing .279/.350/.601 through 62 games with 20 homers and a 24:73 BB:K, and he's seen time at both first base and left field in addition to his usual spot at the hot corner with fellow third base prospect Brett Baty also on the roster for Binghamton.

Ohtani (7-1) allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts over six innings in Thursday's victory over the Blue Jays. He also went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and a walk.

Ohtani turned in a steady performance on the mound, limiting the potent Blue Jays lineup to just a pair of runs while chalking up his fifth consecutive quality start. Toronto was only able to get to Ohtani in the fourth inning, with its runs coming on a Teoscar Hernandez RBI single and a Randal Grichuk run-scoring double. At the dish, Ohtani drilled his Major League-leading 68th extra-base hit of the year with a leadoff double off the center-field wall in the first. He's tentatively scheduled to make his next start on the mound next week at Detroit.

Reyes has gone 0-for-13 with four walks in his last four games.

Reyes was hot prior to sitting out last Friday's game versus the Tigers. Since then, the designated hitter has seen his average tumble from .275 to .261 during the slump. He's still carrying an .873 OPS with 20 home runs, 53 RBI, 38 runs scored and three stolen bases through 286 plate appearances. The 26-year-old has also gone 12 games without a homer, but it's tough to keep the slugger quiet for long.

Harper went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two runs scored and two walks Thursday against the Dodgers.

Harper took Mitch White deep in the opening frame to record his 21st home run of the season. Although that was his lone hit in the team's three-game set against the Dodgers, Harper reached base in every contest and drew four total walks. Thursday's effort also continued Harper's August power surge, as he has now delivered five homers in his last 11 games. Overall, he has maintained a .298/.413/.568 line with 67 runs scored, 46 RBI and 12 stolen bases across 395 plate appearances.

Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Thursday's win over the Yankees.

Jimenez crushed an Andrew Heaney offering in the sixth inning to give the White Sox a 5-3 lead. It was the fifth homer in the last five games for Jimenez, who is really getting locked in after returning in late July from his pectoral injury. The 24-year-old is 13-for-30 (.433) with nine extra-base hits over his last eight games.