MLB Player News

Pederson went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Thursday's win over the Nationals.

For the second game in a row and sixth time in the last nine contests, Pederson recorded two or more hits. Perhaps more importantly, the outfielder has batted leadoff in consecutive games as well. The Cubs started the season with Ian Happ in that role and have also used Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras there. If Pederson can stick in the top spot, he should get more at-bats overall and could see an uptick in runs.

Canha went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 8-4 loss to Houston.

Canha opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo shot. The 32-year-old has hit safely in eight of the last nine games with three homers, four RBI, six runs scored and a .294 batting average in that span. He's racked up eight home runs, 13 RBI, 34 runs scored and six stolen bases as Oakland's main leadoff hitter.

Torrens was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday.

Torrens had lost out on consistent playing time recently after he went 0-for-16 with an RBI, a walk and eight strikeouts across his last five games. Tom Murphy should serve as the primary catcher going forward, while Jacob Nottingham could compete for playing time after he was claimed off waivers as part of a corresponding move.

Ohtani isn't starting Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Twins, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani's fastball velocity was down during Wednesday's start against Cleveland, although manager Joe Maddon said that the right-hander simply "wasn't feeling his fastball." Anthony Rendon will serve as the designated hitter in Thursday's matinee while Jose Rojas starts at third base.

Belt (side) remains on the bench for Thursday's game against the Reds, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt will sit for the sixth straight game as he works through side tightness. Darin Ruf remains the first baseman in his absence.

Ohtani allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.2 innings in Wednesday's loss against Cleveland but did not factor into the decision. He also went 1-for-3 as a hitter.

Ohtani allowed Cleveland to get on the board early with an RBI double in the first by Franmil Reyes. He later allowed a leadoff homer to Jake Bauers in the fifth and was eventually pulled following a two-out walk. A concerning observation was that his fastball velocity was down over five miles per hour during most of the game, although manager Joe Maddon assured afterward that nothing was wrong and Ohtani just "wasn't feeling his fastball." His five strikeouts were the fewest he's had in a start this season and he failed to last five innings for the first time since April 20. He still owns a solid 2.37 ERA and 45:22 K:BB over 30.1 innings but that has only led to one win in his first six outings. He should return to the mound again next week and will need to continue crushing at the plate in the meantime with Mike Trout (calf) out for the next 6-to-8 weeks.

Reyes went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Angels.

Reyes opened up the scoring quickly with an RBI double in the first to give Cleveland an early 1-0 lead. He would later lead off the fourth with another two-base hit but nothing came of it. It was his first multi-hit game since May 3 as he raised his slash line to .259/.316/.568 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 20 runs scored and a stolen base. Even with that strong production, he's striking out a career-high 30.3 percent of the time and walking in a career-low 7.3 percent of his plate appearances.

Martinez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-3 win over Toronto.

Martinez took Toronto starter Ross Stripling deep in the first inning. The homer was the designated hitter's first since May 5, a span of 12 games without a long ball. He's up to 11 homers, 34 RBI, 34 runs scored and 10 doubles across 183 plate appearances, and he's slashing .329/.404/.596 while occupying the No. 3 hole in Boston's order.

Soler went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Brewers.

Soler launched a home run to lead off the seventh inning-- his fourth of the season. His power has been mysteriously missing for much of the season, as he has only a .161 ISO through 168 plate appearances, his lowest mark since 2017 when he earned only 110 plate appearances. Despite those struggles, Soler continues to hit in the middle of the Royals' order, which has allowed him to rack up 24 RBI across 42 games.

Pederson went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk in Wednesday's loss to the Nationals.

Pederson didn't come around to score in the 4-3 loss, but it was otherwise an effective night for the leadoff hitter. After a slow start to the season, including some missed time due to a wrist injury, the outfielder is batting an even .400 this month. Pederson may continue to sit against tough lefties, but it looks like he should produce good stats when he's in the lineup for the Cubs.