MLB Player News

Ohtani is no longer listed as the Dodgers' starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, but he'll serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat leadoff, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

The Dodgers haven't provided an explanation for why Ohtani is no longer in line to pitch, but if he's dealing with an undisclosed injury, it's evidently not anything the team believes will affect him while swinging the bat or running the bases. Emmet Sheehan will end up starting on the mound in Ohtani's stead. Expect manager Dave Roberts to shed more light on the situation and provide word on when Ohtani's next start as a pitcher will come when the skipper addresses the media later Wednesday.

Steer (leg) will start at first base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Steer will return to the lineup after a two-game absence due to a minor leg injury. Top prospect Sal Stewart had started at first base in both of the previous two contests while Steer managed the leg issue, but the rookie could end up shifting into more of a utility role moving forward, assuming Steer is able to maintain health.

Stewart is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Following his promotion from Triple-A Louisville on Monday, Stewart started at first base in the first two games of the series with Toronto and went 2-for-8 with a run scored. Though he'll be on the bench Wednesday while Spencer Steer (leg) checks back in at first base following a two-game absence, Stewart could still have a path to at least semi-regular playing time in September while moving between second base and designated hitter.

Pinango is slashing .295/.382/.443 with one home run and a 16:12 K:BB in his last 26 games for Triple-A Buffalo.

The lefty-hitting Pinango has been a hair below league average (98 wRC+) since getting promoted from Double-A New Hampshire to Triple-A on June 1, but he's been better of late. As a left-field-only prospect, there's significant pressure on Pinango to make an offensive impact, and he had a strong showing in a repeat of Double-A this year (.298/.406/.522 slash line, 169 wRC+). Pinango may be added to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

The Angels claimed Davidson off waivers from the Astros on Wednesday.

Davidson will move on to his third organization of the season, after Houston previously claimed him off waivers from the Athletics on July 25. The 27-year-old corner infielder has played in just nine career games at the big-league level, but the Angels could give him a look at some point in September as the organization looks to better assess how he fits into their long-term plans. Between his stops at the Triple-A affiliates of the Athletics and Astros this season, Davidson has slashed .252/.387/.399 with 10 home runs, seven stolen bases and a 17.2 percent walk rate over 419 plate appearances.

The Angels transferred Mederos (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

Mederos landed on the 15-day IL on Aug. 24 after he experiencing shoulder inflammation coming out of his third start of the season for the Angels, and his move to the 60-day IL now spells an end to his 2025 campaign. Assuming Mederos doesn't require any sort of procedure to address his shoulder injury, he should be back to full health for spring training, when he'll be looking to compete for a spot in the Halos' Opening Day rotation.

The Nationals claimed Lao off waivers from the Mariners on Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Rochester.

Lao has been knocked around during his brief time in the majors, but he's collected a 3.13 ERA and 73:19 K:BB over 69 innings this season at Triple-A Tacoma. He'll report to Rochester for now but could get a look with the major-league club before the end of the season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Anthony (oblique) will be placed on the injured list later Wednesday and is in line for an extended absence, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. "He has an oblique strain," Cora said. "Timetable, we don't know...Usually takes from 4-to-6 weeks."

After departing Tuesday's 11-7 win over the Guardians with what the Red Sox termed as left oblique tightness, the standout rookie appears likely to miss the rest of the regular season with an MRI on Wednesday confirming a strain. Whether Anthony is able to return for the postseason will depend on how deep into October the Red Sox are able to advance should they clinch a playoff spot, as well as how quickly the 21-year-old is cleared to resume baseball activities. The loss of Anthony will likely result in Ceddanne Rafaela moving back to center field on a full-time basis, allowing Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton to receive most of the reps at second base. Before suffering the oblique injury, Anthony had established himself as a franchise building block, slashing .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs, four stolen bases, 48 runs and 32 RBI through his first 303 big-league plate appearances.

O'Neill (wrist) will progress to all baseball activities this weekend before beginning a rehab assignment next week if all goes well, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

O'Neill has been sidelined since early August with right wrist inflammation but has made strides in his recovery recently. He shouldn't require too many rehab games before being activated from the 10-day injured list, setting O'Neill up for a return by mid-September, barring any setbacks.

Rivera will start at third base and bat cleanup in Wednesday's game against the Padres.

He'll draw his third consecutive start at the hot corner and looks like he'll have an opportunity to play on a frequent basis until the Orioles get either of Jordan Westburg (ankle) or Tyler O'Neill (wrist) back from the injured list. Rivera has been running hot at the plate since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk last Wednesday, going 6-for-17 with six RBI.