MLB Player News

Ohtani (knee) is not listed among the Dodgers' scheduled starting pitchers for this weekend's series against the Yankees, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Ohtani has not started a game on the mound in two weeks as he deals with a nagging left knee issue. He had the knee drained Sunday and was expected to receive an injection in the knee over the All-Star break, as well. The Dodgers haven't revealed when Ohtani's first start of the second half as a pitcher will be, but Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register speculates it could be next Wednesday in Philadelphia. Ohtani will be available to serve as a designated hitter this weekend versus the Yankees.

Suarez went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Cubs.

Suarez, who homered for a second straight day, dialed up the power this past week with three long balls over his last six games (22 ABs). The flip side of that are the 16 times he's struck out during that stretch. Suarez has 11 home runs and 35 RBI through 67 games.

Ohtani is set to get his left knee drained shortly after the Dodgers' contest Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani will get his problematic left knee addressed as soon as possible ahead of the All-Star break in order to maximize his healing time. The two-way star is skipping the Midsummer Classic this year in order to get extra rest, as he's been dealing with inflammation in his knee since mid-June. Though the issue resulted in him missing his most recent start as a pitcher, he's expected to retake his regular spot in the rotation following the break. Ohtani doesn't seem to be impacted much by the knee as a hitter, as he went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run Sunday and closed the first half with a home run in four of his final six contests.

Andujar is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

After a run of three consecutive starts against right-handed pitchers during which he went 3-for-9 with three doubles, a walk, two runs and two RBI, Andujar has now been left on the bench for the Padres' ensuing two contests, both of which have also come against righties. The 31-year-old may have to settle for a short-side platoon role while the Padres are seemingly prioritizing Ty France and Sung-Mun Song ahead of him in matchups versus righties.

Polanco is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Polanco will hit the bench for the Mets' final game before the All-Star break while Juan Soto gets a day off from playing the outfield as the designated hitter. Since being activated from the 60-day injured list July 7, Polanco has started at DH in four of six games, going 3-for-16 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run. He's not expected to be available to play first base anytime soon coming off injuries to his Achilles and ankle, and unless he's able to catch fire at the plate, Polanco could find himself on the bench once Luis Robert (back) returns from the 60-day IL at some point following the All-Star break.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Cubs on Saturday.

Coming into Saturday, Lowe had remarkably failed to plate a run over his past 28 games dating back to May 31. He finally ended that skid when he launched a solo blast to right field in the fourth inning Saturday. Lowe posted a paltry .544 OPS during the RBI drought and struck out at a 33.3 percent clip, which has cost him playing time -- he's started just twice over the Reds' past six contests.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Ohtani wasn't able to pitch Friday due to ongoing irritation in his left knee, which is expected to be addressed during the All-Star break. The superstar still got into the lineup as designated hitter and delivered a home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning. He's up to 21 homers on the year, including nine that have come in the first inning of games. That ties him with Drake Baldwin and Junior Caminero for the most first-inning homers in the majors. Ohtani is batting .290 with a .943 OPS, 57 RBI, 63 runs scored, 15 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 90 games as a hitter this year.

Ohtani has been scratched from Friday's start against the Diamondbacks due to continued irritation in his left knee.

Ohtani will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter Friday and for the rest of the weekend, but he will not pitch because of a nagging knee issue that first popped up a month ago. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani will have the knee drained and will likely receive an injection over the All-Star break, which will prevent him from participating in the All-Star Game. Kyle Hurt will start what will be a bullpen game for the Dodgers in Friday's series opener versus the Diamondbacks.

Eldridge went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Rockies.

Eldridge's blast tied the game at 2-2 for the Giants in the fourth inning. The slugger has gone 8-for-30 (.267) over eight contests in July, adding two homers, four RBI and a 4:12 BB:K in that span. For the season, he's hitting .275 with an .844 OPS, eight homers, 20 RBI, 26 runs scored and 12 doubles over 51 contests. He has a starting role between first base and designated hitter against right-handed pitchers, though he's also been in the lineup against four of the last five southpaws the Giants have faced.

Yelich is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in St. Louis.

Yelich started the previous eight games -- including both legs of a doubleheader Tuesday -- so he will get some rest in the series finale. Jake Bauers will occupy the designated hitter slot Thursday, and Andrew Vaughn will get a start at first base.