MLB Player News

Ohtani is not in the lineup against the A's on Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a strikeout in the Angels' Opening Day loss to the A's but will return to the bench with left-hander Sean Manaea taking the mound for Oakland on Friday. It remains to be seen when the 23-year-old will be back at DH for the Angels, but Ohtani is slated to make his debut as a starting pitcher in Sunday's series finale with the A's.

Miller will hit sixth and play first base against Boston on Friday, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller didn't earn a start against Chris Sale on Opening Day but will get into the lineup versus fellow left-hander David Price for the second game of the Rays' opening series. He did wind up coming into Thursday's contest as a pinch hitter, walking in a run and then scoring during the club's six-run eighth inning. Expect to see Miller in the lineup against right-handers and occasionally with lefties on the mound.

Stanton went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, four RBI and three runs during Thursday's 6-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Both of Stanton's homers were no-doubt shots, and after leaving the yard 59 times last season, 2018 is off to a promising start. The elephant in the room continues to be his health, but serving primarily as the designated hitter should help, and many of his past injuries were unlucky. Buckle up; Stanton has the potential to post a league-winning stat line.

Goins earned a spot on the Royals' Opening Day roster, Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star reports.

Goins inked a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training back in late January, and did just enough to break camp with the club. He will serve as a reserve infielder behind Whit Merrifield and Alcides Escobar moving forward, but he may be in danger of getting removed from the roster once Adalberto Mondesi (shoulder) is healthy.

Ohtani is in Thursday's Opening Day lineup against Oakland. He will bat eighth and serve as the designated hitter, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

With Ian Kinsler still working his way back from a minor groin injury, Luis Valbuena will man the hot corner and Ohtani draws the start at DH for the first game of the 2018 season. Ohtani is set to make his first start on the mound during Sunday's series finale with the A's.

Canha did not earn a spot on Oakland's Opening Day roster and was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, Julian McWilliams of The Athletic reports.

Canha barely missed the cut after turning in an impressive spring. Jake Smolinski wound up earning the role of reserve outfielder heading into the start of the season. The 29-year-old Canha will serve as organizational depth and will likely be moved up to the majors if one of the regular outfielders sustains an injury.

Ohtani has made the Angels' 25-man roster and will make his first start as a pitcher Sunday against the Athletics, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Although Ohtani had a rough spring training with a 27.00 ERA and a 3-for-28 showing at the plate, he'll begin the season in the majors. He threw more than 80 pitches in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday and apparently made enough of an impression to earn his spot in the rotation. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani "should be able to get over 90 [pitches]" Sunday, but the rookie's poor spring may prompt fantasy owners to take a wait-and-see approach before activating him. It's not clear when Ohtani will make his first start as designated hitter, but Luis Valbuena will likely see the bulk of the reps at that spot early on in the season.

Canha, who's battling for a reserve outfield and designated hitter role, pushed his spring average to .362 by going 4-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and a run-scoring single in Monday's Cactus League win over the Giants.

He also crossed the plate twice overall in a performance that eradicated a 2-for-12 slump in spectacular fashion. It was a particularly timely effort, considering Canha is locked into a heated competition with Jake Smolinski for a spot as a right-handed reserve option in the outfield, although Canha also offers the added benefit of being first base-capable. His perfect night at the plate certainly caught the eye of the most important member of his audience, Jerry McDonald of The Mercury News reports. "He had a great game," manager Bob Melvin said. "He's versatile, playing first base and the outfield. We've seen when he gets lots of at-bats he's productive."

Vargas was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

After bouncing back and forth between the Reds and Twins, Vargas will indeed open the season back at Rochester after passing through waivers untouched. He will serve as organizational depth. While the 27-year-old possesses some serious pop, he's failed to get things going in brief major-league stints over the previous four seasons, hitting a combined .252/.311/.437 with 35 homers in 236 games.

Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a walk in Sunday's Grapefruit League win over the Braves.

Cabrera now has three home runs this spring, and he's slashing a robust .352/.383/.593 in 54 at-bats. The 34-year-old posted the worst statistical output of his storied career last season, but if he's able to carry his spring training success forward, he could be in line for a bounceback campaign in 2018.