MLB Player News

Miller will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth Saturday against the Phillies.

Miller, who started at DH in Thursday's opener against Aaron Nola, slots in against another right-hander, Zack Wheeler. The lefty-hitting Miller popped a home run Thursday off reliever Connor Brogdon and should be a lineup regular against right-handers.

Hummel went 0-for-3 with a run scored and his first stolen base of the season in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Guardians.

After getting hit by a Hunter Gaddis pitch with one out in the fourth inning, Hummel stole second and came home on a Julio Rodriguez double. The former Diamondback has never been a big running threat in his career, but his 88th percentile sprint speed last season per Statcast suggests he has some untapped potential on that front. Hummel will first need to show he can hit enough to earn semi-consistent playing time as a utility player on the Seattle bench. The .581 OPS he managed in 66 games for Arizona in 2022 paled in comparison to the .969 OPS he's amassed at Triple-A over 125 games.

Jimenez went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored in Friday's loss to Houston.

The 26-year-old slugger knocked two RBI doubles off Cristian Javier, one in the first inning and another in the sixth. Jimenez bounced back quickly after an 0-for-5, two-strikeout performance Opening Day. Both of his hits Friday were recorded at over 105 mph off the bat.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a three-run double and a walk in Friday's victory over the White Sox.

Alvarez drilled a go-ahead, bases-clearing double in the seventh inning to lift the Astros to their first win of 2023. The star slugger has already driven in four runs with a pair of extra-base hits in two games. He's also struck out three times.

Solak was acquired by the Mariners in a trade with the Reds on Friday for cash considerations, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

He'll report to Triple-A Tacoma. Solak was designated for assignment Thursday, and he finds a new home a day later. The 28-year-old showed promise with the bat early in his career, but he's struggled to the tun of a .246/.317/.354 slash in 839 plate appearances since 2020. He provides Seattle with some depth as a player who can play both in the infield and outfield.

Hummel is hitting eighth as the designated hitter for Friday's game against the Guardians.

The Mariners have rotated bench options at designated hitter to begin the season, and Hummel will get the nod Friday after Tommy La Stella hit eighth as the DH in Thursday's opener. Acquired in a deal for Kyle Lewis in the winter, Hummel posted just a .581 OPS in 176 at-bats with the Diamondbacks last year but impressed during his time in the Cactus League this spring. He'll have a chance to win a consistent role with strong results in the early portion of the season.

Brantley (shoulder) took batting practice Friday at Minute Maid Park, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brantley was placed on the injured list ahead of Opening Day as he completes his recovery from labral repair surgery last August. It's notable -- and probably encouraging -- that he is doing pregame work with the Astros rather than rehabbing at the club's spring training complex in Florida. The 35-year-old looks likely to be activated in mid-April.

Buxton started at DH and went 2-for-5 with a triple in Thursday's season-opening win at Kansas City.

Buxton underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in late September, and the Twins eased him into action during the spring. He only played in major-league spring games at the end of March and then only DH. The Twins say they plan to play Buxton at DH almost exclusively in April and maybe beyond to ease him into action and keep him healthy. If he continues to perform like he did Opening Day, the plan will more than offset his loss of defensive value in center field.

Miller started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 11-7 win over the Phillies.

The lefty-hitting Miller slotted into the Opening Day lineup against Philadelphia righty Aaron Nola. The Rangers should rotate players through the DH spot this year as Miller shares the role with catchers Jonah Heim and Mitch Garver, as well as other starters who might need a partial rest day.

Ohtani did not factor into the decision Thursday against Oakland, completing six scoreless innings and allowing two hits and three walks while striking out 10. He went 1-for-3 with a walk at the plate.

Ohtani was a bit wild in the season opener, throwing only 55 of his 93 pitches for strikes. Aside from that, the two-way star was as dominant as ever, racking up 13 swinging strikes en route to his 10 punchouts. Ohtani recorded 10 double-digit strikeout performances last season, and after leading Japan to a title in the World Baseball Classic this spring, he already looks primed to build upon the career-best pitching numbers he posted with the Angels in 2022.