MLB Player News

Brantley is out of the lineup against Toronto on Friday.

Brantley will retreat to the bench after starting the past three days, going 4-for-10 with a double and two RBI during those contests. The 30-year-old will continue to receive scheduled off days every now and then in order to keep him fresh. In his place, Rajai Davis will get the nod in left field while batting ninth.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a three-run triple and a walk, helping the Angels to a 7-1 victory over the Royals on Thursday.

It's nothing short of unbelievable what the rookie phenom has been doing and whether or not he can continue to put up such elite numbers as both a hitter and on the mound has quickly become easily the most intriguing story in baseball. It's also hard to overstate what it would mean for his fantasy value should he continue to perform both roles so well while only taking up one roster spot. If there's anything diminishing that, it's that he's given off days on either side of his pitching starts, limiting his opportunity to log as many at-bats as a normal everyday player. He told reporters after the Angels' game on Wednesday, however, that he would like to play more as the season progresses, so if the coaching staff eventually obliges he could end up with even more chances to hit.

Ozuna went 1-for-6 with a solo home run against the Reds on Thursday.

Ozuna extended his hitting-streak to 11 games with his solo home run Thursday. Though he has largely failed to hit for power in that span -- he has only three extra-base hits during the 11 game stretch -- he has still provided counting stats, highlighted by seven RBI and four runs scored. As the weather heats up, his power should come back more consistently, but in the mean time, there is little to complain about based on his early season production.

Miller (groin) will be reevaluated Friday to determine when he can resume baseball activities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller went on the 10-day disabled list last Sunday, the same day he suffered a groin strain against the Red Sox. Manager Kevin Cash is already on record as stating that he doesn't expect the infielder's DL stint to last beyond the minimum timeframe, and Friday's evaluation should shed further light on whether that prognosis is on track.

Ohtani will once again serve as the Angels' designated hitter for Thursday's series opener in Kansas City, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani will DH for the second straight day after going 1-for-4 with an RBI on Wednesday. Since he isn't scheduled to take the mound again until Sunday, Ohtani may be back in the lineup for Friday's contest as well. Over 24 plate appearances, he's tallied eight hits, three home runs and eight RBI this season.

Blackmon (quadriceps) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Nationals, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Blackmon has been battling back and quad tightness throughout the week and will miss his third consecutive game. There have been no reports at this point that the 31-year-old is headed to the disabled list, but it becomes increasingly likely with each day out of the lineup. Ian Desmond will start in center field Thursday, after Mike Tauchman started the previous two games.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 10-7 loss to the Yankees.

It's his second homer of the season, and while Martinez's batting average is still a sluggish .250 (10-for-40) he has driven in 10 runs in 10 games. The 30-year-old is locked into the cleanup spot in one of MLB's better offenses, and Martinez should continue to produce big numbers as long as he can stay healthy.

Stanton went 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Red Sox.

That's now back-to-back multi-hit performances for Stanton, and while he's had some trouble making consistent contact in the early going, he does still have three homers and 10 RBI through 12 games. Expect his .235 batting average to continue rising now that Stanton appears to be settling in to his new environment and new uniform.

Blackmon (quad) is again out of the lineup Wednesday against the Padres, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports.

Blackmon has dealt with both back tightness and quad tightness in the past few days. He'll now have missed three out of the Rockies' last four games. There haven't yet been any reports that either issue is anything serious or that a trip to the disabled list is imminent, but it's certainly not encouraging to see him sit out this often. Mike Tauchman will receive a second straight start in center field.

Belt is out of the lineup against Arizona on Wednesday, Jody Jackson of Fox Sports Arizona reports.

Belt will get the day off after going 1-for-8 with five strikeouts during the first two games of this series. Buster Posey will slide over to first base while Nick Hundley draws a start behind the plate for Wednesday's contest.