MLB Player News

Miller, who went 0-for-3 with a walk in a win over the Twins on Sunday, is 1-for-11 with an RBI and two walks overall in the three games he's played since returning from the disabled list due to a groin injury.

In addition to his struggles at the plate -- which have lowered his average to .184 -- Miller also apparently sprained his ankle rounding third in the first inning Sunday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. However, he remained in the game and will now have a day off before the Rays embark on a nine-game road trip.

Belt went 3-for-5 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored Sunday in the win over the Angels.

Belt has blasted a home run in back-to-back games and is slugging .576 in 17 games this season. It's unclear whether he'll be able to continue this recent power surge, but he figures to see plenty of opportunities to do so moving forward. The Giants take on the Nationals in a three-game set starting Monday.

Brantley was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 7-3 win over Baltimore.

Brantley is off to a torrid start in 2018, as he's now 12-for-28 (.429) in his last six games and hitting for a .348 average on the year. The 30-year-old has only swiped one bag in the 11 games he's played, but the Indians do own the third-highest steal-per-game rate in the league. Brantley also owns an absurd 95 percent contact rate, showing an advanced ability to limit strikeouts (only two this year.

Cabrera went 1-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Royals.

Cabrera's resurgent season continued Sunday as he brought his RBI count up to 14 for the year. After owning a .249 batting average and a .728 OPS in 2017, the 35-year-old has lifted those marks to .300 and .855, respectively, over 20 games this season.

Ohtani will serve as the Angels' designated hitter and bat cleanup Sunday against the Giants. The Angels also announced that Ohtani would make his next start on the mound Tuesday in Houston, according to Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston.

Ohtani has previously hit no higher than sixth in the order for the Angels, but manager Mike Scioscia will give the Japanese phenom a look in more of a run-producing role with Albert Pujols resting for the series finale. The 23-year-old is expected to keep receiving at least a couple starts per week as a designated hitter against mostly right-handed pitching, which should help him avoid extended slumps at the plate. As for the pitching side, Ohtani will likely continue to start once a week while the Angels deploy a six-man rotation. He exited his previous turn April 17 with a blister, but after staying on his normal throwing schedule and hitting without any issues Friday, Ohtani isn't expected to face any restrictions in his return to the mound.

Ozuna is not in the lineup Sunday against the Reds.

Ozuna, who has just one hit in his last 18 at-bats, will be given Sunday off for the second straight week. The sample size is still relatively small, but the former Marlin is off to a brutal start at the plate this season. His walk rate is down, his strikeout rate is up and he's hitting for considerably less power than he did in previous seasons. He'll hopefully begin heating up with the weather moving forward, but the early results are disappointing. Tyler O'Neill draws the start in left field Sunday.

Buxton (head) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with High-A Fort Myers and could be activated from the 10-day disabled list Wednesday when first eligible, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

It sounds like Buxton is progressing as expected since being shut down a few days earlier after experiencing migraines. After taking batting practice Saturday with no complications, Buxton will serve as the designated hitter Sunday before playing the outfield the following two days. If all goes well, Buxton will likely rejoin the Twins in the Bronx in advance of the final two contests of Minnesota's four-game series with the Yankees.

Belt went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer against the Angels on Saturday.

Belt took start Garrett Richards deep in the second inning to record his fourth home run of the season. His current .519 slugging percentage is a relative surge in power and is the result of him pulling the ball in the air at a higher rate in the early going. It remains to be seen if this something he can carry forward, but if it is, he may be a good source of power tis year.

Pederson went 2-for-4 with a solo homer Saturday against the Nationals.

The Dodgers shifted around their lineup Saturday, moving Chris Taylor to second base, which gave Pederson a rare spot in the starting lineup. He took advantage of the opportunity, hitting his first home run of the season, coming off Stephen Strasburg in the second inning. Due to a lack of playing time, Pederson is only a viable option in exceptionally deep leagues despite his name value.

Ohtani is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 at the plate Friday after his three-strikeout performance Thursday but will head to the bench against Giants left-hander Derek Holland. The 23-year-old has faced some southpaws this season with minimal success -- 2-for-12 with three strikeouts -- but at this point the Angels appear likely to go matchup-to-matchup on starting against left-handed pitching. Ohtani is also expected to throw a bullpen session sometime this weekend in preparation for his next potential start on the mound, currently slated for Tuesday in Houston.