MLB Player News

Ohtani exited Thursday's game against the Blue Jays due to back stiffness, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani was yanked in the eighth inning as Taylor Ward (shoulder) hit in his place. After the game, manager Joe Maddon suggested the injury wasn't serious and noted Ohtani could be in the lineup Friday.

Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Guardians.

All three hits were singles, which has become the norm for Cabrera. The veteran has six doubles and three home runs this season, but the rest of his 42 hits have only gotten him to first base. Still, he's now batting an even .300 with a .753 OPS, so there's definitely some fantasy value there. Fantasy managers just shouldn't expect Cabrera to be the dominant slugger he was earlier in his career.

Carpenter was added to the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.

The 36-year-old joined the Yankees on a major-league deal Thursday, and he'll make his team debut as the designated hitter against the Rays after Aaron Hicks (hamstring) was scratched from the lineup. Carpenter has appeared in 21 games at Triple-A Round Rock this year and has hit .275 with six homers, 19 RBI, 15 runs and a steal.

Reyes was placed on the 10-day injured list with right hamstring tightness Thursday, retroactive to May 25, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Reyes was sidelined Wednesday against the Astros, and his absence was apparently due to a hamstring issue that will force him to miss at least a week and a half. The 26-year-old had been struggling prior to sustaining his injury, as he hit just .095 with a double, an RBI, three walks and eight strikeouts over his last seven games. Richie Palacios and Oscar Gonzalez were called up from Triple-A Columbus as part of a move to provide additional depth in Reyes' absence.

Carpenter signed a major-league contract with the Yankees on Thursday.

Carpenter joined the Rangers on a minor-league deal in mid-March and spent the first six weeks of the season at the Triple-A level, where he hit .275/.379/.613 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 21 games. The 36-year-old has struggled over the past couple years in the majors but will now receive an opportunity with the Yankees since DJ LeMahieu (wrist) is banged up and Giancarlo Stanton (ankle) and Josh Donaldson (illness) are on the injured list.

Choi isn't starting Thursday against the Yankees.

Choi has started exclusively against right-handed pitchers this year, and he'll get a breather with southpaw Nestor Cortes on the mound Thursday. Wander Franco will serve as the designated hitter while Harold Ramirez enters the lineup at first base.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Wednesday against the Marlins.

Ramirez went yard in the first inning to collect his second home run of the season and in as many days. He's tallied multiple hits in three of his last seven starts, during which he's also driven in four and scored four runs. Despite the strong stretch, Ramirez could find himself squeezed for playing time due to the return of Manuel Margot.

Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in Wednesday's loss to the Rangers.

There weren't many highlights for the Angels in the contest, but Ohtani did help the team get an early jump by leading off the first inning with a walk, swiping second base and coming around to score on an Anthony Rendon single. After collecting a career-high 26 steals last season, the two-way star is on a similar pace with seven thefts through 44 contests in 2022. Most of his other offensive numbers are slightly down, but Ohtani is still putting up solid production with nine homers, 28 RBI and 30 runs scored.

Manager Aaron Boone said after Wednesday's win over the Orioles that Stanton is dealing with right ankle inflammation rather than a calf strain as previously announced, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The 32-year-old's injury was labeled as a calf issue when he exited Tuesday's contest and when he was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Wednesday, but it instead appears he's managing an ankle issue. It's unclear exactly how long Stanton will be out, but Boone hopes the slugger will be able to be activated when first eligible June 4.

Stanton was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right calf strain.

Stanton underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning after suffering the injury during Tuesday's contest against the Orioles, and he'll now be sidelined for at least the next 10 days. The severity of the strain is not yet clear, and there's no official timeline for the 32-year-old's return. Joey Gallo (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.