MLB Player News

Mercedes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the 6-0 win Thursday over the Royals.

Mercedes keeps stealing the show in his astonishing and unexpected start to the season. After resting Wednesday, the rookie slammed a 485 foot home run in the first inning off Brad Keller. While Mercedes won't be able to keep up this hitting pace (15-for-27) all season, it is quite the start for a player who wasn't expected to get everyday at-bats.

Brantley went 1-for-4 in Thursday's 6-2 win over Oakland.

This was Brantley's first appearance since last Saturday when he was hit by a pitch on the wrist. He was back in a familiar spot, batting second between Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.

Ohtani will not make his next start Sunday against Toronto due to a blister, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani survived an injury scare in his last start but will now be skipped in the rotation. The team is still assessing whether he will be able to pitch in the team's series with the Royals beginning Monday. The news shifts the Angels' rotation, with Jose Quintana taking the mound Saturday and Alex Cobb on Sunday.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo homer in Thursday's victory over the Athletics.

Alvarez cracked his second homer of the season in the sixth inning against Cole Irvin. The 23-year-old is slashing .333/.364/.667 in the heart of a dynamic Astros lineup, and if he can stay healthy, he should be in line for a huge campaign.

Buxton went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and another run scored during Thursday's victory over Seattle.

After doubling in the first inning, Buxton extended Minnesota's lead with his solo shot off Marco Gonzales in the fifth. The long ball was No. 4 of the year for the 27-year-old outfielder, who is off to a strong start, batting .421 with five RBI.

Brantley (wrist) is starting Thursday's game against Oakland, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley sat out the last three games after he was hit by a pitch Saturday, but he'll play left field and bat second for Thursday's series opener against the Athletics. The veteran went 6-for-9 with a home run, four doubles, two RBI and five runs in the first three games of the year.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Rays.

Martinez reached base just once in four at-bats but made the most of his only knock, as he plated two of the team's nine runs with a double off Ryan Yarbrough. The veteran slugger has hit safely in all of his six games to date and has already recorded four multi-hit efforts while also tallying two or more RBI in four games in a row. The 33-year-old designated hitter has wielded one of the hottest bats in the American League during the first week of the season.

Solak went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays. He was also hit by a pitch.

Solak opened the scoring with his solo shot off Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu in the second inning. The 26-year-old Solak also got aboard when he was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, but he didn't come around to score. He's mostly worked in the heart of the order to begin 2021. He's batting .238 with a homer, two stolen bases, two RBI and five runs scored through six games as the Rangers' primary second baseman.

Torrens is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Manager Scott Servais hasn't named either Torrens or Murphy as the team's top catcher, but Torrens may be the preferred option at this point, based on how the starts have been distributed. While both Torrens and Murphy have now been in the lineup at catcher three times apiece, Torrens has made all three of his starts versus right-handed pitching, whereas Murphy has made only one of his three starts versus righties. If that pattern holds, Torrens will likely end up seeing the larger portion of work behind the plate over the balance of the season.

Lewis (knee) could return during the Mariners' homestand that runs from April 16-20, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

Lewis has continued to hit in the batting cage at T-Mobile Park in recent days and is progressing in his recovery. While he won't travel with the team in the coming week, the 25-year-old has a better timetable for his season debut as long as his recovery continues to go well. Taylor Trammell and Braden Bishop should continue to see increased playing time in center field in Lewis' absence.