MLB Player News

Soler (toe) completed some baserunning drills prior to Sunday's game against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The running activity represents another step forward in the rehab process for Soler, who has been sidelined since mid-June with the fractured left toe. Manager Ned Yost said Soler is without a set date to begin a rehab assignment, though it's expected the 26-year-old will be ready for game action in the minors at some point during the upcoming week. Yost also noted that Soler likely wouldn't play the outfield upon returning from the 60-day disabled list and may only be limited to duties as the Royals' designated hitter in an effort to avoid an aggravation heading into next spring, per Flanagan.

Canha is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins.

Canha is on the bench for the fifth time in nine games and seems to have ceded primary center-field duties to rookie Ramon Laureano. The 29-year-old should at least remain a fixture in the lineup versus left-handed pitching, making him worthy of holding in most AL-only leagues.

Blackmon is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

Blackmon will head to the bench for only the third time since the start of July. He's slashing .288/.337/.511 with nine home runs in that stretch. Matt Holliday will start in left field for the series finale, shifting David Dahl to center field.

Harper is being held out of Sunday's lineup due to illness, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

Harper said he's been sick most of the week but the issue has worsened over the last few days. It appears to be a minor issue as the 25-year-old expects to return to the lineup in Philadelphia on Monday, but it's still a situation worth monitoring.

Harper is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Harper may have a .331/.410/.595 slash line with seven home runs since the All-Star break, but will get a breather Sunday as he is 0-for-11 over the last three games. Michael Taylor will start in center field while the former NL MVP should return to the lineup at Philadelphia on Monday.

Martinez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rays, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

The hot-hitting Martinez has started each of the Red Sox's past 28 games, delivering an incredible 1.173 OPS over that span. He'll be given a breather in the series finale and benefit from two full days of rest with the Red Sox off the schedule Monday before kicking off a two-game set with the Marlins on Tuesday. Steve Pearce will serve as Boston's designated hitter in Martinez's stead.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run scored in Saturday's 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay.

Martinez was reported to be given the day off Saturday, but manager Alex Cora gave Jackie Bradley the day off instead. Martinez's two hits raised his season batting average to a league-high .337, two points higher than teammate Mookie Betts. The slugging outfielder/DH leads baseball with 110 RBI and is second with 38 home runs, one behind Oakland's Khris Davis.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a double and two-run homer against the Astros on Saturday.

Ohtani took Justin Verlander deep in the fourth inning to record his 14th home run of the season. While much of the news surrounding Ohtani is in regards to his efforts to return to the mound, he has acquitted himself well at the plate by slashing .274/.354/.540 across 226 at-bats. He has seen the lineup less frequently while he ramps up his throwing program, so Ohtani may see less frequent at-bats the closer he gets to returning to the hill.

Ohtani (elbow) will throw 45-50 pitches in a simulated game Monday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani completed a 21-pitch bullpen session Saturday and Monday's game will mark a significant uptick in pitch count compared to his previous throwing sessions. The 24-year-old still doesn't have an official timetable for his return to game action, but he appears to be on track to pitch again in 2018. Ohtani, who will continue to serve as designated hitter in the meantime, is batting cleanup against the Astros on Saturday.

Ohtani (elbow) completed a 21-pitch bullpen session prior to Saturday's game against the Astros, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Next up for Ohtani is likely to be a simulated game early next week as he continues to rebuild his arm strength from a UCL sprain. The 24-year-old has no official timetable for his potential return to the mound as the Angels remain cautious in the rehab effort.