MLB Player News

Vogelbach is hitting cleanup as Seattle's designated hitter Thursday against the Angels.

Vogelbach is just 2-for-20 this season, though he has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six). The 27-year-old is Seattle's top left-handed option at DH following Jose Marmolejos' demotion.

Lewis is not starting Thursday against the Angels.

Lewis will head to the bench for the first time all season; through 13 games, the outfielder is 20-for-52 (.385) with three home runs, 10 RBI and a stolen base. Mallex Smith is starting in center field Thursday, with Dylan Moore manning right.

Ohtani (forearm) indicated that he would like to remain a two-way player in 2021, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani won't pitch again this season after being diagnosed with a forearm strain and given a 4-6 week recovery timeline, but he isn't ready to abandon his role as a pitcher in spite of his injury woes since joining the Angels. "It's not as severe as my Tommy John -- it's just a little inflammation in my elbow," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "If it comes down to them telling me to just focus on hitting or focus on pitching, I will listen. But, ideally, I would like to leave the window open for me to do both." The injury isn't likely to prevent Ohtani from hitting, and he is expected to be in the lineup as the team's designated hitter Thursday.

Lewis went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored, a walk and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Angels.

Lewis has hit safely in 12 of Seattle's first 13 games of the season, with the lone exception being an 0-for-4 performance on Aug. 3 against the Athletics. The slugging outfielder has been one of Seattle's hottest bats to start the season and is slashing .385/.439/.577 through his first 57 plate appearances in 2020.

Pederson went 2-for-3 with two home runs, five RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Wednesday's win over the Padres.

Pederson delivered a complete performance Wednesday, launching a two-run shot in the second and later adding a three-run shot in the sixth -- he also chipped in another run scored in the fifth following an RBI single from Will Smith. Pederson has hit safely in four of his last five appearances and accounts for three homers in his last three games.

Belt went 2-for-4 with a double, a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Rockies.

His first long ball of the year was a big one, as it turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead for San Francisco. Belt missed the start of the season with an Achilles injury and it looks like he may be a strict platoon player at this point -- sharing time with Wilmer Flores -- but he is seeing the ball well through five games (five walks, two extra-base hits) and is locked into the heart of the order against righties.

Manager Dusty Baker said Brantley (quadriceps) will serve as the designated hitter Thursday against the Diamondbacks, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Baker indicated earlier in the day the 33-year-old was likely to sit out the series finale as a precaution, but he'll instead rejoin the starting nine after missing the past two games. Brantley is 14-for-32 with a home run, eight runs, six RBI and a stolen base to begin the season, so his return to the lineup will be a welcome sight for the Astros.

Ohtani (forearm) is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners, but he's expected to start at designated hitter in Thursday's series finale, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 26-year-old isn't expected to pitch again this season after suffering a forearm strain Sunday, but the team still believes he'll serve as the primary designated hitter the rest of the season. Ohtani has taken the past few days off as the injury is evaluated, but he should be back in the lineup Thursday. Justin Upton will bat cleanup as the DH for Wednesday's contest.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Yankees, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

McCutchen started in left field and batted leadoff during the matinee, going 0-for-3 with two runs and two walks. Jay Bruce will take over in left field for the Phillies in Game 2.

Harper (undisclosed) is starting in right field and batting third in Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The 27-year-old made an early exit from the matinee after being looked at by the athletic trainer, but it was apparently a precautionary move with the Phillies holding an 11-3 lead. Harper was productive during Game 1 before exiting, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs and a walk.