MLB Player News

Mercedes is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Tigers, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Mercedes will get a breather as Jose Abreu moves to DH and Yasmani Grandal shifts to first base Sunday. Mercedes is just 6-for-33 with no homers in June, though he did log two hits in Saturday's win.

Solak is batting just .161 (15-for-93) against right-handers since May 1, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Solak was held out of Saturday's starting lineup against Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer in what could be a more regular occurrence. He was replaced by Eli White, who recently has played the outfield but came up through the system as a utility infielder. White was hitless with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's game.

Mercedes went 2-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 15-2 win over the Tigers.

Mercedes has hit his first sustained slump, entering Saturday's contest with just eight hits over his past 64 at-bats (.125 average). Manager Tony La Russa tried moving him to second in the order the previous two games in an effort to break the slump. A positive sign is that Saturday's effort was the third time in the last four games he's had a hit. Despite the slump, Mercedes remains second on the club with 34 RBI.

Solak is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Dodgers.

Solak sits for just the second time all season despite his mediocre .234/.307/.393 slash line. He's been particularly poor over his last 20 games, hitting just .152/.212/.222. Eli White takes over at second base in his absence.

Ohtani will not be in the lineup for Saturday's game against Arizona, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani got to play both sides of the ball Friday, as he struck out eight on the mound and grabbed a pair of hits at the plate. There's no designated hitter available with the series taking place under National League rules, however, so Ohtani will likely be stuck on the bench Sunday as well.

Canha will sit Saturday against the Royals.

Canha gets a rest after going hitless in four of his last five games. Skye Bolt will start in center field in his absence.

Soler will not start Saturday's game against the A's.

Soler has struggled to a .180/.270/.335 line at the plate this season, homering just six times, though two of those home runs have come in his last five games. Salvador Perez will rest his legs as the designated hitter in Soler's absence, with Cam Gallagher entering the lineup behind the plate.

Ford was designated for assignment Saturday.

He got a brief audition at first base when Luke Voit (oblique) landed on the injured list, but he was then passed by Chris Gittens in the pecking order. Ford hit .133 with three home runs and a 23:11 K:BB in 60 at-bats with the big club.

Cabrera is not in Saturday's lineup against the White Sox, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

It's just a day off for Cabrera, who is hitting .278 with one home run in 36 June at-bats and is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak. Nomar Mazara is starting at designated hitter and batting fifth.

Ohtani started Friday's 6-5 win over Arizona, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings in a no-decision. At the plate he went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a run and an RBI.

He fouled a ball off his knee early in the game and said it felt pretty stiff afterward, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Ohtani has been showcasing his well-rounded skillset all season and Friday was yet another example, as he's allowed four runs or less in each appearance on the mound this season. He's also tied for the MLB lead in extra-base hits with Nick Castellanos at 35. Once he was done pitching for the night, Ohtani moved to right field, which is the fifth time he has appeared in the outfield this season.