MLB Player News

Stanton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Aaron Judge will get a day out of the outfield and serve as the Yankees' designated hitter while Stanton heads to the bench after starting in every game dating back to Aug. 2. During that 16-game stretch, Stanton slashed .207/.313/.448 with four home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs while striking out at a 32.8 percent clip.

Turner started at first base and went 0-for-4 in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Yankees.

Turner hadn't played the field since July 30 because the Red Sox are trying to keep him off his feet as much as possible while he battles bruised left heel. A last-minute adjustment to Saturday's lineup was needed when Triston Casas (tooth) was scratched. Earlier this week, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Pablo Reyes would assume the backup duties at first base due to Turner's condition, but the manager wanted to give Trevor Story a breather, and Reyes filled in at shortstop. Casas may not be available Sunday, so if Story returns to play shortstop, Reyes could take over at first base while Turner serves as the DH.

Ramirez went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs and four RBI in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader split against the Angels.

Ramirez appeared as a pinch hitter and grounded out in his only plate appearance in Game 1 before tallying a season-high four hits in Game 2. Among those knocks were a two-run double in the sixth inning and a two-run single in the eighth. Ramirez has been swinging a scorching stick of late, going 13-for-24 (.542) with three extra-base hits and eight RBI over his past six contests.

Buxton (hamstring) could play center field once he's deemed ready to return from the 10-day injured list, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton has exclusively served as the Twins' designated hitter this season in an effort to keep him healthy, but it's hard to call the plan a success. Even with the extreme caution, he's still landed on the IL twice, though as long as he returns in time to appear in eight more games, he will have reached the second-highest mark (93) of his career. His numbers at the plate (.207/.294/.438) have taken a considerable hit, however, which may or may not be linked with his role change. The Twins have yet to officially announce that he will indeed start outfield work as part of his rehab, but manager Rocco Baldelli said Saturday that the team was having conversations about the idea.

Belt will sit Saturday against the Reds.

As expected, Belt will hit the bench with a lefty (Brandon Williamson) on the mound for the opposition. He has just 32 plate appearances against southpaws this year, making just five starts. Davis Schneider will serve as the designated hitter.

Ford went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Astros on Friday.

Ford's sixth-inning blast off J.P. France accounted for the second and final run of the night. The journeyman slugger's round-tripper was his first since July 23, a 12-game span that saw Ford limp to a .063 average and .283 OPS while striking out at a 43.2 percent clip over 37 plate appearances. He's continued to log somewhat regular playing time despite the significant struggles, but it remains to be seen how much longer that will continue on a team contending for a wild-card spot.

Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI on Friday against the Angels.

Ramirez delivered RBI knocks in back-to-back at-bats and now has a five-game hitting streak. In that span, he's gone 10-for-18 with five RBI and four runs scored. Ramirez has gotten inconsistent playing time for much of the season, though the absences of Manuel Margot (elbow) and more recently Jose Siri (finger) have allowed Ramirez to start four of the Rays' last five games.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and two runs scored in Friday's loss to the Rays.

Ohtani gave the Angels a 5-1 lead with his grand slam in the second inning but it wasn't enough to hold off the Rays. After an eight-game homerless drought, he's gone deep three times in his last five appearances. In 32 games since the All-Star break, Ohtani owns an outstanding 1.149 OPS. His season line is up to .308/.407/.668 with 70 extra-base hits (43 homers) and 89 RBI through 121 games.

Rooker went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Orioles.

Rooker was a bright spot for the Athletics in this contest. He's gone 9-for-27 (.333) with three extra-base hits over his last seven games. The outfielder is up to a .246/.332/.466 slash line with 19 home runs, 15 doubles, 50 RBI, 42 runs scored and two stolen bases through 101 contests in his first full major-league season.

Ohtani is scheduled to start Wednesday versus the Reds after having his last start skipped due to fatigue, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels elected to be cautious with their two-way superstar this week, but Ohtani is on track to face the Reds on Aug. 23 in what would be his first start in two weeks. Ohtani hasn't allowed an earned run over his last three starts, although one of them was abbreviated due to a hand cramp.