MLB Player News

Buxton went 0-for-4 and struck out twice Monday in Minnesota's loss to the Pirates.

Buxton has yet to find his groove at the plate, as he's gone 3-for-15 (.200) with six strikeouts over four games. However, he's been a threat when he's managed to reach base and has collected two stolen bases. After hitting .300 with an .893 OPS after the All-Star break last season, Buxton will have plenty of opportunities to continue improving as the season goes on.

Brantley (ankle) could be activated from the DL for Friday's game against the Royals, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

After playing in a minor-league game Tuesday, Brantley's ankle will be reevaluated. If he's in full health, it's possible that he could rejoin the big club for Cleveland's home-opener Friday. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Indians were cautious with Brantley, as the 30-year-old had an injury-filled 2017 season and played in just 90 games.

Turner (wrist) will resume swinging a bat next week, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Turner's rehab is going as planned, as it was expected that he'd be able to resume swinging three weeks after breaking his left wrist. Barring any setbacks, Turner should be in line to join the Dodgers around the middle of May.

Pederson is starting in center field and batting leadoff Monday against the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

With Chris Taylor getting a breather for the first time all season, Pederson will take his spot in center field and atop the order. Pederson hit .250/.333/.375 in 36 plate appearances as the Dodgers' No. 1 hitter last season, and he could once again serve as the team's leadoff man when he starts for Taylor.

Martinez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

With no designated hitter spot available in the Marlins' ballpark, Martinez will head to the bench for the first time all season. He's already picked up a pair of starts in the outfield, so look for him to rejoin the lineup as the team's left fielder for Tuesday's contest.

Ozuna went 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBI in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Mets.

After going hitless with five strikeouts in his first nine at-bats with the Cardinals, Ozuna broke through in the third inning Sunday, roping a double to deep left to score Tommy Pham. He would go on to collect two more base hits in his final three at-bats of the afternoon, giving him some confidence heading into the Cardinals' three-game series in Milwaukee that begins Monday. Since he hasn't struck out in more than 23 percent of his plate appearances the past three campaigns, Ozuna should be less prone to the extended slumps that often befall most power hitters over the course of a long season.

Martinez started in left field for a second consecutive day and went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rays.

Martinez, who got his first hit in a Red Sox uniform Saturday, knocked in his first run Sunday. He's off to a slow start, going 3-for-15 over the first four games of the season, something that can be attributed to a late start after signing at the end of February. He talked about his timing being off, so it's important manager Alex Cora get Martinez regular at-bats while handing out rest days to others. We expect to see Martinez in the lineup regularly, whether at designated hitter or left field.

Cabrera went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Sunday's loss to the Pirates in the second game of a doubleheader,

The veteran slugger is off to a good start, with five hits in his first 14 at-bats of the season. Four of the hits have gone for extra bases, including his first home run of the season in Sunday's nightcap. Reportedly healthy to begin the year after an injury-marred 2017, Cabrera could be poised for a bounce-back effort, though the 34-year-old is unlikely to get back to the form that made him a regular MVP candidate earlier in his career.

Harper hit two solo home runs, his first of the season, in a 2-for-4 game Sunday against the Reds.

Harper was productive in his first two games, going 2-for-6 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI, but Sunday marked his first explosive performance of 2018. Harper still has yet to prove he can consistently replicate the massive power numbers of his age-22 season of 2015, when he clubbed 42 home runs with a .649 slugging percentage. Sunday's effort serves as a good start in that direction.

Ohtani (1-0) allowed three runs on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts through six innings in a win Sunday over the Athletics.

He was a bit shaky early, as Matt Chapman touched him up for a three-run home run, but Ohtani showed resolve in his major-league debut. He buckled down after the home run to finish with four straight scoreless innings to get the quality start and win, all within 92 pitches. Ohtani drew 18 swinging strikes, including five whiffs on just 11 uses of his nasty split-fingered fastball. If the splitter remains that kind of strikeout tool for Ohtani, the American League should be afraid.