MLB Player News

Ohtani (6-2) earned the win Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over six innings in a 5-3 victory over the Rangers. He struck out three and went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and two walks at the plate.

Ohtani tied his season low in strikeouts, and Thursday's tilt marked his first outing with fewer than five punchouts since May 3rd. However, he managed to pick up his first win in his last six appearances to notch his eighth quality start, and he also helped himself offensively with his 22nd long ball. Though Ohtani has taken a step back from his incredible 2022 season on the mound, where he tallied a 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 219 strikeouts across 166 innings, he's remained a strong source of strikeouts (11.52 K/9) while totaling a 3.29 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 82 innings in 2023. Ohtani is in line for another tough matchup next time he takes the mound, which is expected to come during a two-game homestand versus the Dodgers.

Buxton (rib) was activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton wound up being sidelined a few days past the minimum 10-day stay on the IL with a left rib contusion, but he's ready to go now for the Twins' four-game weekend series against the Tigers. The 29-year-old had been in a 2-for-22 rut at the plate before getting injured when he took a Tanner Bibee pitch to the ribs back on June 1.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Rangers.

Ohtani made things interesting in the ninth inning, launching a two-run, 453-foot shot off Will Smith to cut the Angels' deficit to 6-3. Ohtani has been red hot of late -- he's hit safely in 11 straight contests, including four straight multi-hit games, going 21-for-43 (.488) with six homers in that span. He's up to 21 homers this season, one shy of Pete Alonso for the league lead. Ohtani's now slashing a robust .299/.377/.610 with 52 RBI, 45 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Jimenez (calf) went 2-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Dodgers.

Jimenez missed four contests with left calf soreness. He was one of five White Sox batters with multiple hits in the contest, and he was able to pad the lead with an RBI single in the ninth inning. Assuming he avoids setbacks, he should be able to stay in the lineup between designated hitter and his usual spot in right field. Staying healthy has been a challenge for Jimenez, but he has a solid .262/.318/.440 slash line with six home runs, 25 RBI, 18 runs scored and seven doubles through 36 contests.

Cabrera went 3-for-8 with a walk, a two-run home run and two runs scored across both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against Atlanta.

Cabrera had a vintage game in the first game Wednesday, going 3-for-5 with a two-run bomb against Atlanta flamethrower Spencer Strider, his first of the season. Surprisingly, the 40-year-old also started the second game, walking and scoring once. It was a nice day at the plate, though Cabrera has just a .624 OPS this year and shouldn't be counted on for consistent production moving forward.

Jimenez (calf) is hitting fourth as the designated hitter versus the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Jimenez returns to the lineup after missing four contests in a row while nursing a sore left calf. The 26-year-old will line up as the designated hitter versus the Dodgers, and it's unknown when he might return to the outfield.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday in his radio appearance with Sportstalk 790 Houston that Alvarez (oblique) is expected to remain on the 10-day injured list for at least four weeks.

Specifically, Brown noted that Alvarez isn't expected to resume baseball activities for at least another three weeks, and the general manager implied that the slugger would likely require another 1-to-3 weeks after that to reach a point in his rehab program that he's ready to play in games. Based on the rough timeline laid out by Brown, Alvarez can be expected to remain out through the All-Star break, and his absence will most likely bleed into the start of the Astros' second-half schedule. Before he was deactivated Friday due to the right oblique strain, the 25-year-old had been in the thick of the American League MVP discussion after slashing .277/.388/.589 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI and 41 runs over 57 games.

Astros general manager Dana Brown suggested Wednesday that Alvarez (oblique) is likely at least three weeks away from resuming baseball activities, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Brown previously implied Sunday that Alvarez would be shelved for beyond the minimum 10 days due to the right oblique injury, but the general manager went into more specifics regarding the slugger's timeline for a return during a radio appearance with Sportstalk 790 Houston. Based on the three-week estimate to resume activities that Brown laid out for Alvarez, the Astros could be leaning toward holding the 25-year-old out through the All-Star break in mid-July. With both Alvarez and Michael Brantley (shoulder) out for the foreseeable future, the Astros are likely to rotate a number of players at designated hitter, as three different players have occupied that spot in the lineup over the past three contests.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Mets.

Stanton opened the scoring with a 408-foot shot off Max Scherzer, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Stanton had gone just 1-for-14 in five games prior to Tuesday's matchup. He's now slashing .234/.289/.519 with six homers, 10 runs scored and 13 RBI through 83 plate appearances this season.

Ford went 3-for-4 with two homers, three RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Marlins.

Ford had just three hits in 19 plate appearances this season heading into Tuesday's game and went on to double his hit total. The 30-year-old journeyman went deep in the second and eighth innings for his second two-homer game as a major leaguer. Ford does not have a track record of hitting MLB pitching, but has been impactful for the Mariners early on, slashing .273/.333/.818 with four homers, five RBI, six runs and a 1:6 BB:K over 24 plate appearances. He should continue to get looks in the lineup against right-handed pitchers.