MLB Player News

Ozuna went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Giants.

Ozuna has gone 9-for-27 (.333) with two homers, six RBI and a 4:5 BB:K over his last seven games. The slugger is still digging his way out of a cold start to the season, but he's had fairly steady playing time at designated hitter to do that. He's batting .198 with a .593 OPS, four homers, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored and three doubles across 32 contests this year.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base Wednesday in a 12-2 rout of the Astros.

Ohtani entered the game having gone 0-for-17 across his previous five contests. He struck out in his first plate appearance to extend that cold spell to 0-for-18 -- one shy of his career-worst 0-for-19 stretch -- before hitting a double in the third inning. Ohtani subsequently scored on a wild pitch, and he reached twice more before the end of the contest. The two-way star has been uncharacteristically quiet at the dish so far this season, slashing .248/.389/.442 with just six home runs and 15 RBI along with a more productive 25 runs scored and five stolen bases across 162 plate appearances. On the flip side, he's been outstanding on the mound, producing an MLB-best 0.97 ERA with an 0.81 WHIP (ranked second in the league) and a 42:9 K:BB over 37 innings spanning six starts.

Ozuna isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Arizona.

Ozuna will get a breather after making five consecutive starts, during which he went 6-for-19 with a homer, five RBI and four runs scored. Oneil Cruz will serve as Pittsburgh's designated hitter in Ozuna's place, opening up center field for Jake Mangum.

Torrens got his third straight start Wednesday, and his work with the pitching staff could continue to earn him more playing time, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Francisco Alvarez got the start at DH in two of those contests as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza focuses his lineup construction on run prevention to help his struggling club. David Peterson in particular has pitched much better with Torrens behind the plate, so the 30-year-old could end up as the personal catcher for the southpaw. Through 42 plate appearances this season, however, Torrens has zero home runs and a .476 OPS that would be his worst mark since he was a rookie in 2017.

Harper went 3-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI in Tuesday's 9-1 win over the A's.

The veteran slugger took Luis Severino deep for a solo shot in the third inning to open the scoring before launching a two-run homer off Tyler Ferguson in the eighth. Harper is locked in right now, racking up seven hits over the last three games including two doubles and three long balls to boost his slash line on the season to .286/.377/.571 with nine home runs, two steals, 22 runs and 23 RBI in 36 contests.

Ohtani (2-2) took the loss against Houston on Tuesday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out eight batters over seven innings.

Ohtani worked exclusively as a pitcher Tuesday, as manager Dave Roberts opted to give him a break from hitting. The two-way star was excellent again on the mound, racking up 15 whiffs and eight punchouts while holding Houston to two runs -- both on solo homers. Those were the first long balls Ohtani has given up this season, and they were enough to beat him, as Los Angeles managed just one run of offense. Despite the defeat, Ohtani still holds a sterling 0.97 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 42:9 K:BB through 37 innings spanning six starts. He's expected to be back in the DH role Wednesday, and his next start on the mound is lined up to be a road tilt in San Diego.

Vientos went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Monday's win over the Rockies.

While he didn't have much to show for it, Vientos was scorching the ball all afternoon, and two of his outs left his bat with exit velocities over 100 mph. The 26-year-old is slashing .273/.333/.523 over his last 13 games with two doubles, three homers, five runs and nine RBI as he turns things around after a slow start to the campaign.

Harper went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Monday's 1-0 win over the Marlins.

Harper accounted for all the offense Monday, launching a solo homer off Janson Junk in the third inning -- his seventh of the season. He's been red-hot since his sluggish start to the season, batting .323 since April 6. The veteran also continues to thrive specifically against Miami, as the homer marked his 39th against the Marlins in his career. Harper is now slashing .271/.362/.519 with nine doubles, 20 RBI and 19 runs scored across 149 plate appearances.

Ohtani won't be in the lineup as a hitter Tuesday, but he will start on the mound against Houston, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Manager Dave Roberts stated after Monday's game that he was initially going to have Ohtani hit as well Tuesday, but he's since changed his made. The Dodgers have made it a point to give Ohtani a day off when they can, even if it means limiting him to pitching only on his turn through the rotation. It's fair to expect the two-way star to be back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale.

Vientos went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers in Sunday's win over the Angels.

Vientos powered the Mets' offense, getting the club on the board with a two-run blast in the fourth inning before extending the lead in the ninth frame with another two-run shot. It marked the 26-year-old's first multi-homer game of the season and his first long ball since April 18. After a brutal cold spell in the middle of April, Vientos may be starting to heat up, with his OPS up to .737 across 26 contests after entering Sunday's game at .650.