MLB Player News

Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Thursday's win over the Twins.

Believers in the mostly debunked Home Run Derby hangover theory are likely keeping tabs on Ohtani's performance, as he has gone 4-for-24 with 14 strikeouts since he participated in the contest. That said, manager Joe Maddon indicated that he is not worried about the two-way star in spite of his recent struggles, per the Associated Press. "He feels good. He's upbeat. He's constantly conversing with everybody. He'll come out of this thing. He's not going to be perfect all year," Maddon said.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay.

Ramirez got aboard with a single and stole second before scoring on an Austin Hedges sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. It was Ramirez's third stolen base of the season, which represents a career high. He's slashing a solid.279/.323/.441 with six home runs, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored through 220 plate appearances as a regular option in the corner outfield.

Reyes went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay.

The designated hitter has come out swinging for the fences after the All-Star break. His homer Thursday was his third in the last six games. Reyes is up to 17 long balls, 45 RBI, 30 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases while slashing .264/.317/.587 through 218 plate appearances. He should be a fixture in the heart of Cleveland's order during the second half of the season.

Stanton could start in left field Saturday against the Red Sox, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton has been in the lineup exclusively as the designated hitter for each of the last two seasons. Interestingly, his return to the outfield could come in an American League park, where the team still has the benefit of a designated hitter. Instead, manager Aaron Boone suggested the decision to play Stanton in the outfield for the first time since Game 1 of the 2019 ALCS could come due to the fact that there is less ground to cover in left field at Fenway Park.

Lewis (knee) will begin light tee work and soft toss within the next several days, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Lewis has not yet begun running, but he continues to make some progress towards a return. The team has remained optimistic that he'll play again at some point this season, though any potential return remains at least several weeks away at this point.

Mercedes remains on the active roster at Triple-A Charlotte and is in uniform for Thursday's game, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Mercedes appeared to announce his retirement in an Instagram post Wednesday, but he'll ultimately remain with the Triple-A club going forward. The 28-year-old has slashed .298/.365/.632 with four homers, 12 runs and 10 RBI across 15 games in the minors this year.

Choi isn't starting Thursday's game against Cleveland, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi had started each of the last three games and went 3-for-11 with an RBI, a walk and four strikeouts. Austin Meadows will serve as the designated hitter and bat fourth.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers.

With Detroit and Texas wrapping up their series with a day game, Cabrera will get a veteran's day off before likely rejoining the lineup Friday in Kansas City. Cabrera has gone 4-for-23 (.174 average) through the Tigers' first six games of the second half, but he's at least helped out fantasy managers by driving in seven runs over that stretch.

Torrens went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Rockies.

The M's only managed five hits on the afternoon against Austin Gomber and the Colorado bullpen, but three of them were solo shots. Torrens' bat has kept him in the lineup even after the promotion of catching prospect Cal Raleigh -- he got the start at first base Wednesday, the first time Torrens has played the position in his big-league career, and through 13 games in July the 25-year-old is slashing .300/.429/.650 with four of his 11 homers on the year.

Soler went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Brewers.

He wrapped up the scoring on the day with an eighth-inning blast off Angel Perdomo. Soler has yet to record a multi-hit performance in July and his batting average remains a woeful .186 on the season. However, his power stroke seems to be returning, as the 29-year-old has gone yard in back-to-back games, and three of his nine homers on the year have come in the last seven contests.