MLB Player News

Manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani (back/finger) will throw two bullpen sessions this week -- one Wednesday and one Friday -- before determining if he'll start Sunday against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Scioscia said Ohtani will throw a light bullpen session Wednesday before ramping things up in Friday's session. If all goes well, it sounds like the two-way star won't be forced to miss a turn through the rotation. The injury apparently doesn't inhibit his offensive ability, as he's hitting second against the Rangers on Tuesday.

Vogelbach was called up by the Mariners on Tuesday.

Vogelbach hit just .212/.342/.333 in 25 games with the Mariners earlier in the year. He'll likely be little more than a bench bat over the final month of the season.

Ohtani (back/finger) returns to the lineup Tuesday against Texas, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani left his Sunday start early with both back stiffness and a sore finger. He didn't bat Monday, though he's always been rested the day after he pitches. It appears the injuries won't prevent him from hitting, though it remains to be seen whether they'll have any effect on his ability to pitch.

Choi is not in the lineup Tuesday against Toronto, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

Choi hasn't started against a single lefty since joining the Rays. That trend continues Tuesday with Ryan Borucki on the mound. Tommy Pham will be the designated hitter in his absence.

Brantley is not starting Tuesday against the Royals.

Brantley sits for just the third time since the All-Star break. He's hit a solid .295/.362/.404 in the second half, slightly down from his .308/.355/.493 first-half line. Brandon Guyer will start in left field in his absence.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a win over the Yankees on Monday.

Canha's fifth-inning, 407-foot shot to left closed out the scoring on the day and enabled him to tie the career high in home runs he'd established back during his rookie 2015 campaign. The 29-year-old has now gone deep in back-to-back contests following a power drought that stretched back to July 31, but his playing time remains somewhat in flux due to the emergence of Ramon Laureano.

Choi went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Blue Jays on Monday.

Choi's one-out, 451-foot shot to right center in the seventh put a cap on an impressive offensive performance by the Rays and served his first round tripper since Aug. 10. The 27-year-old has hit safely in each of the first three games of September, improving his season line to a solid .270/.346/.489 in the process. Given his increasing production, Choi should be locked in as the team's designated hitter on a regular basis.

Ohtani (back/finger) is not in the lineup Monday against the Rangers.

Ohtani's return to the mound lasted just 2.1 innings Sunday before he was pulled due to back stiffness and a sore finger. It's unclear whether or not those issues will prevent him from hitting for a few days, as he was always going to sit the day after pitching. The severity of the issue should become clearer once it's known whether or not he'll miss an additional game.

Jimenez will not be called up this season, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

The White Sox refuted reports Sunday that Jimenez wasn't going to be called up, but general manager Rick Hahn confirmed the reports Monday. The team claims that Jimenez's defense is the reason he'll remain in the minors, but it's quite obvious that service-time concerns are the primary reason. That likely means that Jimenez will be held down for the first few weeks of 2019, only for his defense to be suddenly deemed adequate.

Ohtani (elbow) was removed from his start Sunday against the Astros in the third inning after experiencing with back stiffness and a sore right middle finger, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. He had allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while fanning two over 2.1 frames.

Taking the mound for the first time since June 6, Ohtani looked good through one inning, but unraveled afterward. He took a ground ball off his right hand early in the outing before his back acted up, prompting the Angels to pull him after just 49 pitches. After the game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia stated he believed these two issues were the reason for the drop in velocity that Ohtani experienced in the second and third innings, and that his left elbow is fine. The Angels hope Ohtani will be ready to make his next start, which is tentatively set for Sept. 9 against the White Sox, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.