MLB Player News

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of RBI in Thursday's win against the Twins.

Ohtani's homer, his fifth of the season, was a seventh-inning solo shot off Trevor Hildenberger that stretched the Angels' lead to three. He also had a third-inning RBI double, his fourth double of the season. The two-way phenom has perhaps impressed more with the bat than the arm so far this season, hitting .354/.400/.677 in 70 plate appearances. Among players who have hit that plate appearance threshold, Ohtani's slugging percentage ranks fourth, as does his 189 wRC+. His .400 BABIP suggests that his numbers are due to come down a bit, but with the 13th-highest exit velocity in the league and above-average speed, he fits the profile of the sort of player who could run a relatively high BABIP.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's loss to the Orioles.

Soler's 2018 resurgence with another quality outing Thursday. He's hitting .333 in 45 at-bats as the No. 2 hitter in the Royals' order and his .328 season average ranks ninth in the American League. He and the Royals will continue their road trip Friday in Cleveland.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI Thursday against the Yankees.

Martinez blasted the game-winning home run off Dellin Betances in the eighth inning, his ninth home run of the season. His power is slowly picking up as he now has four home runs in his past eight games while also adding two doubles in the span. He is also riding an 11 game-hitting streak which has him hitting .348/.395/.623 through 138 at-bats this season.

Turner (wrist) is expected to be sent on a rehab assignment over the weekend, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The Dodgers are getting close to having two established veterans back with the club as Turner and Logan Forsythe (shoulder) are ready for rehab assignments. Turner has been sidelined since spring training due to a broken wrist, so his return should bring a spark to the Dodgers' lineup. Given the length of his absence, Turner will likely need multiple rehab games before being activated. Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer will continue to split time at third base in the meantime.

Buxton (toe) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Thursday and is in the starting lineup against the Angels.

The 24-year-old originally landed on the disabled list back on April 18 with migraines, but suffered a hairline fracture in his toe while on a minor-league rehab assignment which ultimately extended his absence. Buxton was able to do a range of running drills earlier in the week with no issues, so the Twins opted to activate him without sending him back out on another rehab assignment. He'll immediately reclaim his role as the team's primary center fielder. Buxton, who was hitting just .195/.233/.244 before landing on the shelf, will face right-hander Garrett Richards in his first game back.

Cespedes sat out of Wednesday's game due to a sore right quad, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The slugging outfielder missed time earlier in the week due to the same kind of injury, so it seems like things haven't completely healed on that front. With Thursday's off-day, Cespedes hopes to only miss one game of action, though he should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday's matchup with the Phillies. Brandon Nimmo should see an increased role if Cespedes is unable to play Friday.

McCutchen is not in the lineup against the Phillies on Thursday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

McCutchen has gone 8-for-20 (.400 average) with one RBI over the past six games and will head to the bench for Thursday's matinee series finale in Philadelphia. Gregor Blanco will start in right field while Brandon Belt draws a start in left. Expect McCutchen back in the lineup Friday for his return to Pittsburgh.

Turner (wrist) is hoping to return from the disabled list during next week's series against the Nationals, which begins Friday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner was originally hoping to return during next week's series against the Marlins, which begins Tuesday, but he told David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports that he still needs to check off a couple of boxes before being activated, so the following series against the Nationals now seems to be a more likely return date. He took swings during a simulated game Wednesday and plans to do the same Thursday. In the meantime, Max Muncy and Kyle Farmer will continue to platoon at third base.

Harper is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Harper is hitless over his last 19 at-bats, so he'll head to the bench for his first breather of the season while Moises Sierra picks up a start in right field. Despite the slump, the 25-year-old is still hitting .230/.410/.541 with 12 homers and four stolen bases through 37 games this season. Look for him to rejoin the starting lineup for Thursday's series opener against the Diamondbacks.

Jimenez appears to be on track for a promotion to Triple-A before the All-Star break, Adam Hoge of WGN Radio reports. "Traditionally you tend not to do too many promotions before the halfway mark," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Certainly the way Eloy has performed thus far, might require an adjustment here in the coming weeks."

The White Sox weren't going to skip Jimenez over Triple-A, so he needs to get that promotion before he can be on the verge of a promotion to the majors. The slugging phenom is hitting .409 with four home runs over his last 10 games -- a hot streak that has prompted this conversation. On the season, he is hitting .333/.357/.679 with seven home runs and a 13:4 K:BB in 78 at-bats with Double-A Birmingham. Assuming Jimenez stays healthy, he will undoubtedly be deserving of a big-league promotion sometime this summer, but it will come down to whether the White Sox are willing to sacrifice an extra year of control or if they are intent on maximizing his at-bats in a White Sox uniform by holding him down until April 2019.