MLB Player News

Blackmon is batting third Friday against the Cubs, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon has acted as the Rockies' leadoff hitter for much of the past few seasons, but he was moved to the three-hole recently to fill in for the suspended Nolan Arenado. With Arenado returning to the lineup Friday, manager Bud Black apparently liked what he saw from "Chuck Nasty" in the third spot in the order and will keep him there for now. This could be the start of a more longstanding change, which could result in more RBI opportunities for Blackmon, though his number of runs scored could take a dip now that he's not atop the order.

Manager Paul Molitor said Buxton (migraines) has exhibited "slight improvement" and will try to get out to the ballpark for a light workout in the near future, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton was placed on the disabled list after experiencing some migraine issues earlier in the week. It remains to be seen whether he will return against the Yankees on Wednesday, which is the day he's eligible to come off the DL. In his place, Max Kepler has been filling in at the center field position.

Miller (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list prior to Friday's game against Minnesota, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

Miller finished up his two-game rehab assignment with High-A Charlotte on Wednesday and will return to the fold for the final three games of the Rays' homestand. It's expected that Miller will be able to jump right back into the lineup at first or second base, while Daniel Robertson remains at the hot corner with Matt Duffy (hamstring) on the DL. Over nine games in the majors this season, Miller is hitting .222/.300/.370 with one home run and five RBI.

Soler is on the bench for the first half of Friday's doubleheader against the Tigers, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

Whit Merrifield will start in right field, with Ryan Goins getting a start at second base. After a bitterly disappointing first year in Kansas City in which he posted a 32 wRC+ and spent much of the year in the minors, Soler seems to be rebounding this season. He has a solid if unspectacular .267/.346/.378 line through his first 13 games, good for a 102 wRC+. Kauffman Stadium may put a dent in his overall numbers, but he's at least suggesting again that he deserves to be a major-league player.

Ohtani's blister is healing as expected and he remains on his usual throwing schedule, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The blister forced him out of his previous start Tuesday against the Red Sox after just two innings. It clearly affected him, as he allowed three runs on four hits and a pair of walks, striking out just one. With extra rest already built into his schedule, it appears that the Angels don't expect him to miss a start. He's expected to take the mound Tuesday in a tough spot at Houston, but the Angels will likely keep a close eye on their prized offseason acquisition as blisters can easily cause a pitcher to miss several starts throughout the season. With Ohtani transitioning to a slightly different ball after coming over from Japan, it's believable that he would be more susceptible to the issue than the average pitcher.

Martinez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Angels.

It's easy to miss one individual's contributions when a team starts the season at 16-2, tops in MLB, but Martinez is doing his best to stand out. One week ago he was batting .227, but he's put on a show since, going 13-for-24 (.542) with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI over the past six games. Boston's starting pitching has been elite and Mookie Betts is tearing up the league, but Martinez has raised his average 111 points over the past week and is looking comfortable in the middle of the order after a slow start, leading the league in hard contact (65.3 percent).

Jimenez (pectoral) went 0-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored Thursday for Double-A Birmingham.

Jimenez, the White Sox's top-ranked fantasy prospect per RotoWire, had been dealing with a strained left pectoral muscle. He'd been at extended spring training until his regular season started Thursday with the Barons. He's expected to reach Triple-A Charlotte at some point in 2018, with a promotion to the big leagues much later this season a real possibility.

Belt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the Giants' 3-1 defeat to the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

Belt was the only Giant to get to Zack Greinke with his second-inning solo blast representing his team's only run of the contest. After a relatively quiet start to the season, it was Belt's second straight game with a long ball and he's now got a solid .255/.361/.471 slash line this season.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double in Thursday's win over the Orioles.

Strangely, Cabrera didn't score or drive anyone in despite his three hits and despite the Tigers scoring 13 runs. Still, it's good to see the veteran rack up the hits, and he's now slashing .283/.353/.467. After a subpar 2017, Cabrera is showing signs of his old self early in 2018.

Ohtani (hand) will hit sixth in the order for Thursday's game against the Red Sox.

This marks the highest spot in the batting order for Ohtani during his brief career in the big leagues. The 23-year-old will handle the designated hitting duties against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez after being removed from Tuesday's start on the mound due to a blister on his right hand. Ohtani remains on track to make his next scheduled start against the Astros on Tuesday.