MLB Player News

Choi (knee) will take some at-bats at the Rays' alternate training site Monday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee March 31, and the recovery timetable is believed to be 4-5 weeks. The 29-year-old appears to be making good progress, and the team hopes to get him approximately 30 at-bats before he's ready to return to game action. Choi will join Triple-A Durham for the first series of the minor-league season and could be in line to make his season debut shortly after.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton is being held out of the lineup for Monday's game in Cleveland due to a sore knee stemming from lingering patellar tendinitis, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

According to Baldelli, Buxton has been experiencing tendinitis throughout the season, but it hasn't hindered him from a performance standpoint in what's been a tremendous start to the season. Per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, Buxton woke up Monday with more soreness than usual in the knee, but Baldelli indicated the outfielder will still be available off the bench for the series opener. The Twins plan to re-evaluate Buxton on Tuesday with the hope that he'll be ready to rejoin the lineup for the second game of the series.

Buxton is out of the lineup for Monday's game in Cleveland, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Though Buxton started each of the last six games, he's recently removed from a minor hamstring strain, so the Twins may have been eager to give him a day off. Jake Cave will start in center field Monday in place of Buxton, who is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday.

Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a solo home run -- his seventh of the season -- in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Astros.

Ohtani's 440-foot blast off Luis Garcia in the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and allowed the Angels to snap a four-game losing streak while getting back to .500 on the season. He's now left the yard in three of his last five starts as a designated hitter, but if he sticks in the lineup Monday in Texas, he'll be batting out of the pitcher's spot. Since overcoming a blister he developed earlier this month, Ohtani will be making his second appearance on the mound, with his previous outing also coming against the Rangers. He'll be looking to show improved control in the rematch after he issued six walks over just four innings in that April 20 start.

Harper went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 12-2 loss to the Rockies.

Harper hit a home run in each of his first two at-bats of the afternoon, including a 468-foot shot to right field, good for third-longest this season. The 28-year-old has been unconscious at the plate lately, slashing .483/.583/.1.000 with four home runs, six RBI, 10 runs scored and a 7:4 BB:K over his last eight games.

Ford went 1-for-4 with a home run and a strikeout in Sunday's 7-3 loss to Cleveland.

Ford didn't appear in either of the last two games, but he hit his first home run of the season in the fourth inning of Sunday's contest. Across four games this year, Ford has hit .133 with two runs, two RBI and three strikeouts.

Reyes went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, a triple, two runs and one stolen base in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Yankees.

Reyes gave Cleveland the lead with his three-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning Sunday, and he came within a double of hitting for the cycle in the victory. The 25-year-old now carries a .934 OPS with five home runs, 14 RBI and 11 runs this year.

Winker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Winker went deep off Jack Flaherty to break the shutout in the seventh inning. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games Sunday, collecting six extra-base hits during that span. The lefty slugger owns a terrific .381/.435/.667 slash line with nine extra-base hits in 69 plate appearances this season.

Dickerson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Miami is opening the contest with a lefty pitcher (Ross Detwiler), so the lefty-hitting Dickerson will take a seat as the Giants hand the right-handed-hitting Darin Ruf a start in his stead. After a slow start to the season, Dickerson is beginning to settle into a rhythm at the plate; he's recorded eight hits in 22 at-bats over his last seven games.

Miller (neck) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Since delivering a four-hit game Wednesday against the Giants, Miller has yet to rejoin the lineup while battling neck soreness. Nick Maton will pick up another start at second base Sunday, though Miller will likely be available off the bench even as he continues to manage the injury.