MLB Player News

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.

Turner went 1-for-3 with a walk and solo home run Monday against the Mets.

Turner took Jacob deGrom deep in the first inning to record his 12th home run of the season. He's swung the bat exceptionally well in post All-Star break action, posting seven home runs and a slugging percentage north of .700. While he has been slowed by injury for long portions of the season, Turner appears determined to end the season on a strong note.

Reyes went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI on Monday against the Diamondbacks.

Reyes took Zack Godley deep twice -- both were two-run blasts -- to record his 14th and 15th home runs of the season. He's displayed his power potential plenty of late, smacking six home runs in his last nine starts. While he'll continue to lose some at-bats to Travis Jankowski, Reyes has received multiple at-bats in 14 consecutive games, making him a viable option for power-needy teams in most formats.

Harper went 1-for-2 with a run, three RBI, three walks, a homer and a walkoff sacrifice fly in Monday's win over the Cardinals.

Harper was the hero in the ninth inning, hitting a game-tying two-run shot off Bud Norris to send the game to extra innings. He was the hero again in the 10th, sending the fans home happy with a one-out sacrifice fly off Chasen Shreve. Harper is hitting .319/.420/.574 with eight home runs in 141 at-bats in the second half.

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.

Belt is not in the lineup Monday against the Rockies due to right knee soreness, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Chase d'Arnaud is starting at first base in Belt's absence, while the Giants are listing the 30-year-old as day-to-day. Belt spent some time on the disabled list last month with an injury to the same knee, so the Giants figure to proceed cautiously with him.

Belt is not in the lineup Monday against the Rockies, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt will take a seat on the bench for Monday's series opener with a southpaw in Tyler Anderson toeing the rubber for the Rockies. Chase d'Arnaud is starting at first base and hitting second in his stead.

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.

Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and one RBI in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Padres.

Blackmon had a rough August, batting just .226 (24-for-106) with a pair of home runs but already has four hits in September. He owns a .821 OPS with 23 homers and 97 runs scored this season, which is a pretty strong performance for most players but feels a bit lacking for the 32-year-old.