MLB Player News

Belt is absent from the lineup Friday against the Red Sox.

Alejandro Kirk will serve as the Blue Jays' designated hitter and Danny Jansen will do the catching with left-hander James Paxton on the bump for Boston. Belt continues to sit against most southpaws.

Jimenez remains out of the lineup Friday at Cleveland.

Jimenez was also on the bench for Thursday's series finale against the Rangers, though he did appear as a pinch hitter. Oscar Colas is filling the DH role for the White Sox on Friday as Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert and Trayce Thompson start across the outfield.

Turner (heel) is out of the lineup again Friday versus the Blue Jays.

Turner has been sidelined since Monday because of a lingering left heel contusion. Luis Urias will start at second base and bat eighth in his Red Sox debut against the Jays and right-hander Alek Manoah.

Solak was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Friday.

This move frees up a 40-man roster spot for lefty reliever Andrew Vasquez, who was claimed off waivers from the Phillies. Solak appeared in only one major-league game during his two-month stay in the Tigers organization and was slashing .179/.328/.283 through 131 plate appearances with Triple-A Toledo.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Astros.

Stanton opened the scoring with a two-run, 430-foot blast off Cristian Javier in the first inning. It's the 33-year-old slugger's second homer in as many days and his ninth in his last 20 contests. Stanton is still slashing just .204/.276/.458, though he's added 16 homers, 41 RBI and 28 runs scored across 239 plate appearances this season.

Ohtani (hand) said after leaving his start Thursday versus the Mariners that he's not sure whether he'll need to skip a turn in the rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani was removed as a pitcher after just four innings (59 pitches) after experiencing cramping in his right middle finger. It is something that has lingered over the last week, but he did remain in Thursday's game as the Angels' designated hitter and went 2-for-2 with a solo homer, two walks and two runs scored in what was a 5-3 victory. He tallied four strikeouts in his four scoreless innings on the mound, scattering three hits and one walk.

Ohtani was removed from his start Thursday versus the Mariners due to cramping in his right hand and fingers, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani began feeling the cramps in the top of the fourth inning, though he stayed in the game as the Angels' designated hitter and drew a walk in the bottom of that same frame. Then came an intentional walk, a stolen base and a run scored in the bottom of the sixth, followed by his 40th homer of the year in the bottom of the eighth. He also laced a single to right in the bottom of the first, going 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs at the dish. The two-way superstar finished his pitching duties having scattered three hits and one walk over four scoreless innings. He struck out four.

Ford remains out of the lineup Thursday against the Angels.

Teoscar Hernandez will serve as the Mariners' designated hitter as they face off against Shohei Ohtani. Cade Marlowe, Julio Rodriguez and Dominic Canzone are starting across the outfield. Ford has posted a solid .817 OPS since joining Seattle in early June, but he's fallen into a deep offensive rut and is hitting just .149 since the All-Star break.

Buxton (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Thursday at St. Louis.

Buxton was scratched from the Twins' lineup Wednesday due to right hamstring tightness and needs at least one more day of rest and treatment. Jorge Polanco will take a turn at designated hitter Thursday while Kyle Farmer covers third base.

Jimenez is not in the lineup Thursday at Texas.

Gavin Sheets will fill the DH role for the White Sox and bat seventh versus the Rangers and Max Scherzer. This looks to be a routine day off for Jimenez, who went 1-for-7 with a single and two strikeouts in the first two games of the three-game series.