MLB Player News

Buxton (kneecap) is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Cleveland, batting third and playing center field.

Buxton missed Monday's game while dealing with knee soreness, the result of patellar tendinitis. He's evidently been dealing with the issue on and off throughout the season, though you wouldn't know it by looking at his .382/.424/.818 slash line. He may require the occasional off day when the issue flares up, but a trip to the injured list doesn't appear to be imminent.

Colon agreed to a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Colon will join the Blue Jays after the organization purchased his contract from the independent American Association's Kansas City Monarchs, with whom the infielder spent two months. The 31-year-old will likely report to Triple-A Buffalo when the minor-league season begins next week.

Alvarez went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored in Monday's 5-2 win over Seattle.

Alvarez delivered Jose Altuve with a first-inning double and came around to score from second base on a Yuli Gurriel single. As he chugged around third, Alvarez showed no hint of the knee soreness that plagued him last season, and he looked natural sliding into home. He hasn't missed a beat after sitting out for a stretch due to the league's health and safety protocols. Alvarez has gone 7-for-19 with two doubles, a triple and five RBI in six games since his return.

Lewis went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Monday's loss to the Astros.

Lewis connected on his first long ball of the season with a 433-foot shot against Jose Urquidy in the third inning. The 25-year-old is now 3-for-19 across five games since making his season debut on April 20 due to knee issues.

Ohtani was removed from Monday's game against the Rangers as a precaution after a blister began to form on his pitching hand, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The club believes they removed Ohtani from the contest before the hot spot became an issue, and the 26-year-old stated after the game that he wants to be right back in the starting lineup as a batter Tuesday, per Bollinger. However, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Angels hold Ohtani out of the second matchup of the series as a precaution. He'll be considered day-to-day.

Ohtani (1-0) earned the win Monday after holding the Rangers to four runs on three hits and a pair of walks while striking out nine across five innings. At the plate, Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, a walk and three runs scored.

Making his first start on the road this season, Ohtani got off to a shaky first inning that was highlighted by a three-run home run by Nate Lowe, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by David Dahl. Ohtani has struggled with command this season, including first-pitch strike percentage, registering under 50 percent while tallying 13 walks in 13.2 innings. The two-way player helped his own cause in the second inning by hitting a two-run double and eventually scoring a game-tying run. From there, Ohtani regained his confidence on the mound, blanking the Rangers the rest of the way. His success continued at the plate as well, including a bunt and a run scored in the sixth. It was only the second time in Ohtani's MLB career that he both pitched and hit during a game. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old made history by becoming the first player since Babe Ruth in 1921 to start a game on the mound while also leading MLB in home runs. Ohtani will look to continue his success at home Monday against the Rays.

Rooker went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-3 loss to Cleveland.

Rooker got the Twins on the board in the top of the second inning with a solo homer to center. The 26-year-old was activated from the 10-day IL on April 20 and is now 2-for-21 with the lone home run and one walk through seven contests in 2021.

Cabrera went 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI in Monday's loss to the Royals.

Cabrera went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his return to the lineup Sunday, but the veteran looked more comfortable in his second game back. He had previously missed two weeks with a strained biceps, and the Tigers will likely find him some rest days in the near future to help preserve his body across the full season.

Ford isn't starting Monday's game against Baltimore.

Ford homered in Sunday's loss to Cleveland, but he'll retreat to the bench for the third time in the last four games. DJ LeMahieu will take over at first base while Rougned Odor starts at the keystone.

Choi (knee) will take some at-bats at the Rays' alternate training site Monday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee March 31, and the recovery timetable is believed to be 4-5 weeks. The 29-year-old appears to be making good progress, and the team hopes to get him approximately 30 at-bats before he's ready to return to game action. Choi will join Triple-A Durham for the first series of the minor-league season and could be in line to make his season debut shortly after.