MLB Player News

Pederson went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.

Pederson led off for the Cubs and almost singlehandedly carried them to a 4-3 win. The home runs were just his third and fourth of the season, but the outfielder has been locked in lately, as he's batting .316 across his last 10 games with three long balls and six RBI. He's also batted leadoff in six straight contests, so clearly manager David Ross likes what he's getting from Pederson atop the order. He's a strong fantasy asset while he remains hot.

Ozuna dislocated the ring and middle fingers on his left hand Tuesday and will return to Atlanta to visit a specialist, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old suffered the injury during a slide into third base when he had his fingers bent back awkwardly. The team has yet to decide whether a trip to the injured list is necessary, though Ozuna can be ruled out for Wednesday's series finale given he's returning to Atlanta to be evaluated.

Ohtani will take the mound Thursday against the Athletics, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Angels previously indicated the 26-year-old lined up to pitch Friday, but he'll instead start a day earlier in the series opener. The right-hander showed some decreased velocity in his previous start last Wednesday, but it's apparently not a concern. Ohtani is batting second as the designated hitter for Tuesday's matchup with the Rangers.

Ozuna exited Tuesday's game at Boston with an apparent finger injury on his left hand, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old delivered an RBI double during the third inning Tuesday, but he had a finger on his left hand bent back while sliding into third base on a subsequent grounder. Ozuna should be considered day-to-day until the team updates his status.

Stanton (quadriceps) will run and hit Tuesday but won't be activated off the injured list, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Previous reports indicated Stanton could return from the injured list when first eligible Tuesday, but he's at least a day or two behind that schedule. He doesn't seem to have suffered a setback, however, so it shouldn't be long before he's back in the lineup.

Brantley will sit Tuesday against the Dodgers due to general leg soreness, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley's 34-year-old legs are banged up following the Astros' weekend series on the turf at Globe Life Field. He'll get to avoid a tough lefty in Clayton Kershaw but should return to the lineup Wednesday. Chas McCormick starts in left field in his absence.

McCutchen is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

McCuthchen is not reported to be injured, so this figures to simply be a day off for the veteran outfielder. Brad Miller will start in left field and bat third.

Choi (knee) will lead off and serve as the designated hitter Tuesday against the Royals, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi left Monday's game against the Blue Jays with a sore right knee, an issue which could have been a worrisome one given that he had surgery on the same knee in late March. The Rays said after the game that he wasn't expected to miss time, however, and that's indeed the case, as he's back in the lineup without missing a single start.

Harper was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left forearm contusion, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

There had been no prior indication of an injury to the star right fielder, but a miserable stretch at the plate followed by days off Sunday and Monday fueled speculation, despite the team's denial, that Harper was not 100 percent physically. It's unclear whether Harper will require longer than the minimum 10 days on the IL, but perhaps some extra time off will be the key to overcoming his recent offensive and defensive woes.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's 6-5 win over Detroit.

The outfielder hit a game-tying RBI single in the sixth inning and promptly stole second. That was Ramirez's first steal of the season. The 26-year-old outfielder has been a fairly steady presence in the lineup since the start of May. He's posted a .263/.276/.456 slash line with two home runs, six RBI, six runs scored and five doubles in 58 plate appearances.