MLB Player News

Blackmon (quadriceps) is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against Washington, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Blackmon has missed the past four games while dealing with back and quad tightness but will slot back into the starting nine ahead of Saturday's matinee. Over 10 games thus far in 2018, Blackmon is hitting .282/.391/.641 with four home runs, six RBI and one stolen base.

Winker (shoulder) is not in the lineup against St. Louis on Saturday.

Winker will remain on the bench for the second straight contest after being scratched from Friday's game due to right shoulder soreness. There hasn't been any word as to the severity of his injury, so consider the outfielder day-to-day for the time being. In his place, Phillip Ervin will man right field and bat seventh.

Carpenter is not in the lineup against Cincinnati on Saturday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter will take a seat for the first time this season while Yairo Munoz draws a start at third base. Through 14 games thus far, Carpenter is hitting .174/.355/.348 with two home runs and seven RBI. Expect to see him back in the starting nine for Sunday's series finale.

Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 7-4 win over the A's.

His first home run of the season comes just as Nelson Cruz (ankle) is ready to rejoin the lineup, pushing Vogelbach out of the DH spot. The 25-year-old will see time at first base for now, but his .222/.300/.370 slash line and 1:11 BB:K in 30 plate appearances won't keep him in the regular starting lineup once Ryon Healy (ankle) also gets healthy.

Winker was scratched from Friday's tilt with the Cardinals due to right shoulder soreness, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Winker's removal from the lineup did wind up being injury-related, though it's unclear when it was incurred. Consider him day-to-day for now until a better timetable for his return is revealed. Phillip Ervin is filling in for him in right field Friday.

Winker was scratched from Friday's contest against the Cardinals, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

No word has come forth as to whether or not an injury is in play, though information on that should come forth relatively soon. Phillip Ervin will take his spot in right field for the evening.

Ohtani will move up to seventh in the batting order versus Kansas City on Friday, 610 Sports Radio - Kansas City reports.

Ohtani continues to impress at the plate, as he's now hitting 9-for-29 with one triple, three home runs and 11 RBI over six appearances as the club's designated hitter. It's expected that he will get the night off Saturday with his scheduled pitching start coming Sunday.

Blackmon (quadriceps) is again not in the lineup Friday against the Nationals, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Blackmon has been out of the lineup for four straight games and five of the last six. He's been battling both back and quad tightness, and while there haven't been any reports that either issue is particularly serious, it wouldn't be surprising to see him end up on the disabled list after missing so many games. Ian Desmond will receive his second straight start in center field, with Ryan McMahon starting at first base.

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.