MLB Player News

Ohtani (finger) will bat second as the designated hitter Saturday against Toronto.

Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled pitching start for Sunday's game due to a blister, but he's still been able to serve as the designated hitter for the Angels. The 26-year-old has gone 9-for-30 with three home runs, eight RBI, seven runs and two stolen bases at the plate this season.

Ohtani (finger) played long toss in the outfield Friday and doesn't expect his absence from the mound to be lengthy, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani has already been scratched from his scheduled start Sunday due to a blister on his pitching hand, but it appears the issue won't set him back from taking the mound for long. The right-handed hurler indicated that he expects to throw relatively soon, and he hasn't had any problems swinging the bat, going 3-for-10 with five RBI over his past two games.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored Friday in a loss to the Rays.

The slugger produced the Yankees' first runs of the contest with a two-run single in the third inning and subsequently crossed the plate on an Aaron Hicks home run. Stanton leads New York with seven RBI on the campaign, though he has just one homer through 25 at-bats. He's been limited to DH duties thus far this season, though he has been getting practice reps in left field, per Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger.

Canha went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's win over Houston.

Canha singled and scored on a Matt Olson homer in the eighth inning, then added his own long ball to cap the scoring in the ninth. The veteran outfielder has three multi-hit games on the campaign and is slashing .265/.390/.529 overall. Friday's long ball was his first of the campaign.

Reyes went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Friday's 4-1 win over the Tigers.

The 25-year-old dropped a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers in the first inning before launching a Michael Fulmer offering 446 feet to center field in the sixth. Reyes has had a great start to the season, going 7-for-23 (.304) with three homers and five RBI through six games.

Ohtani (finger) went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Friday's 7-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled pitching start for Sunday's game, but he was cleared to hit. He made a big impact from the No. 2 spot in the order Friday. In the second inning, he hit a bases-loaded double to plate three runs. The 26-year-old added a solo shot in the fifth inning to extend the Angels' lead to 5-0. He's batting .300/.344/.700 with three homers, eight RBI, seven runs scored and two stolen bases in eight games. Ohtani is expected to be able to continue hitting while battling a finger blister, but it's unclear when he'll be able to return to the mound.

Ford was optioned to the Yankees' alternate training site after Friday's loss to the Rays.

Ford was recalled Friday to serve as a bench option after Gio Urshela was placed on the COVID-19 IL due to side effects from the vaccine. However, Ford didn't appear in Friday's loss and will now head back to alternate camp.

Ohtani (finger) will bat second as the designated hitter Friday versus the Blue Jays, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old was ruled out for his next start Sunday against Toronto due to a blister, though the issue won't prevent him from serving as the designated hitter to open the weekend. It's unclear if Ohtani will be able to pitch in the following series against the Royals, which begins Monday, but he's cleared to continue hitting in the meantime.

Ford was recalled from the alternate site prior to Friday's game against the Rays, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

This will likely be a short stay in the majors for Ford, as this was the corresponding move to Gio Urshela landing on the COVID list due to side effects from the vaccine. Ford will serve as a left-handed bench option for manager Aaron Boone.

Canha went 1-for-3 with two walks in a loss to the Astros on Thursday.

The Athletics' season is off to a nightmarish start, but Canha's work out of the leadoff spot has been encouraging. The veteran has a .361 on-base percentage and 11.1 percent walk rate through his first 36 plate appearances. Three of Canha's seven hits -- a double, a triple and a home run -- have gone for extra bases as well, making him a well-rounded option atop the order.