MLB Player News

Mercedes is not in Tuesday's lineup against Cleveland.

Mercedes has reached base in every game he has played in this season and is just getting a routine day off. Jake Lamb draws the start at designated hitter and will bat seventh.

Manager Scott Servais said that Lewis (knee) could be ready to return from the 10-day injured list ahead of the Mariners' upcoming homestand, which begins Friday against the Astros, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

Reports on Lewis were positive after he took four at-bats in a simulated game Monday, so he looks to be nearing the finish line in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee. Lewis will likely need to play in another simulated game or two before getting the green light from Seattle's training staff, but once activated, he should step back into an everyday role in center field.

Solak batted seventh and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Monday's 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay.

Many of the Rangers' young hitters are having contact issues to start the 2021 season, and Solak is no exception. He had a strikeout rate of 19.2 percent over 2019 and 2020, but that's shot up to 42.5 percent with 17 punch-outs over 40 plate appearances. "He's trying way too hard to make things happen instead of letting them happen," manager Chris Woodward said.

Brantley went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Tigers.

Brantley, who launched his second homer of the season in the eighth inning, was one of the few offensive bright spots for the Astros, who were shut down for seven innings by promising young starter Casey Mize. Brantley has gone 3-for-17 in the four games since returning from a wrist injury.

Canha went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, a steal and two runs scored in Monday's 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Canha reached in each of his first two at-bats, as he doubled down the left-field line in the first and drew a walk in the third. Canha has gotten on at least twice in each of his last four games, slashing .375/.500/.625 with a home run, two RBI and six runs scored over that span. His stolen base Monday was a rarity, as his career high in steals was seven during his rookie year in 2015. Most of his fantasy value is derived from his power and above-average on-base ability.

Ohtani went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in Monday's win over the Royals.

Ohtani's two-run double in the seventh inning had an exit velocity of 119 mph. As Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com notes, Ohtani is just the fifth player to reach 119 mph since Statcast was introduced in 2015. The other four: Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Nelson Cruz. A blister on Ohtani's right middle finger is keeping the two-way star off the mound in games, but Bollinger reports the Angels are hopeful Ohtani will be able to pitch by early next week.

Ohtani threw a light, 10-pitch bullpen session Monday without a bandage on his blistered finger, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The blister scratched Ohtani from his scheduled Sunday start against the Blue Jays. He hasn't been ruled out from starting sometime later this week, and the bullpen session does represent some amount of progress, but he's likely to need a longer session before returning to game action. He's been able to hit despite the blister and remains the starting designated hitter Monday against the Royals.

Cabrera doesn't have anything worse than a mild strain in his left bicep and may not need anything more than a minimum-length stay on the injured list, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera landed on the 10-day injured list Sunday and didn't initially have a clear timeline, but it appears as though he's avoided a particularly serious injury. He'll be eligible to return April 21 against the Pirates.

Martinez went 4-for-6 with three home runs, four RBI, four runs and two strikeouts in Sunday's 14-9 win over the Orioles.

Martinez missed Saturday's game against Baltimore due to cold symptoms, but he was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list for Sunday's series finale. He stayed hot at the plate in the win and recorded his third career three-homer game. The 33-year-old has tied a franchise record by recording eight consecutive games with extra-base hits to begin the season. Martinez now leads the majors with five home runs, seven doubles and 16 RBI this year.

Buxton went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Mariners.

Buxton contributed a two-RBI double in the third inning, then took Mariners starter Chris Flexen deep for a two-run homer in the fifth. The 27-year-old Buxton has hit well to start 2021, with five homers, nine RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base across 30 plate appearances. He has a .481/.548/1.185 slash line while often hitting in the heart of the order.