MLB Player News

Ohtani will have surgery on his right ankle Thursday, Nikkan Sports reports.

The injury initially occurred in the fall of 2016, and was ultimately the reason behind Ohtani's absence from the World Baseball Classic in March. It's expected that Ohtani will be completely healthy for the start of the new season, which is increasingly likely to be his first with an MLB club if he's posted as expected by the Nippon Ham Fighters this offseason.

Tests revealed Buxton did not suffer a fractured rib following a collision with the outfield wall during Tuesday's wild-card game against the Yankees, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

While an earlier report indicated Buxton was dealing with a cracked rib, Saturday's test results seem to indicate otherwise, which is encouraging news. He should be able to resume his normal offseason work after a short recovery.

Buxton played through a cracked rib after crashing into the outfield wall during Tuesday's wild-card game against the Yankees, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports.

Although Buxton was officially removed with upper-back tightness, it appears as though the center fielder instead suffered a cracked rib while making a spectacular play to rob Todd Frazier of extra bases. Since the Twins have been eliminated from the playoffs, this injury shouldn't have any fantasy impact, but it will just mean a longer recovery for Buxton. He will be good to go for spring training.

Brantley is an option to start in left field for Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley is going to partake in a workout during the team's off day Saturday, which will likely determine manager Terry Francona's lineup decision for Game 3 in New York. The outfielder has essentially been out since early August due to an ankle injury, although he was able to see some action during the final weekend of the regular season. Looking forward, there will be an update on his status following Saturday's workout session. He is available off the bench as a pinch hitter in the meantime.

Brantley is not in the lineup against the Yankees on Friday.

Brantley will remain on the bench for Game 2 of the ALDS while Austin Jackson draws the start in left field. There hasn't been any word on how manager Terry Francona plans to use Brantley, but it appears as though he will be deployed as a pinch hitter for the time being.

Brantley is out of the lineup for Thursday's ALDS tilt with the Yankees.

Brantley was recently activated from the DL (ankle) on Saturday, and received a little time on the field in the last two regular-season games prior to the beginning of the playoffs. It's clear that the 30-year-old is still recovering from an injury that cost him 52 games dating back to Aug. 9, and is not completely ready to return to the lineup at this point. In his place, Lonnie Chisenhall will patrol left field and bat seventh in the order for Game 1 of the series.

Buxton, who suffered from upper-back tightness in the Twins' loss to the Yankees in the American League wild-card game Tuesday, will likely undergo further tests in the days to come, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton sustained the injury upon slamming into the wall while making a catch and was lifted from the game after three innings. With the Twins returning to Minnesota on Wednesday, Buxton will be reexamined by team doctors to determine if the outfielder is dealing with anything more than tightness heading into the offseason. Buxton didn't express much concern about the injury after the game, so for now, the expectation remains that he'll enter spring training at full health. Thanks largely to a big second half, Buxton ended up improving his all-around production in 2017, slashing .253/.314/.413 with 16 home runs, 51 RB1, 69 runs and a 29-for-30 success rate on stolen bases.

Buxton left Tuesday's wild-card game against the Yankees with an undisclosed injury, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Buxton collided with the wall while making a catch during the second inning and is now dealing with some lingering discomfort. While specifics on the injury haven't been released, Buxton was replaced by Zack Granite in center field to start the bottom of the fourth inning.

Belt (concussion) has been officially cleared by MLB, Andrew Baggarly of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt, who has a history with head injuries, missed the final two months of the season with a concussion, but he'll head into the offseason with no restrictions after being deemed symptom-free. He hit .241/.355/.469 with 18 homers in 104 games before his season was cut short due to the injury. Assuming he's able to enter next season healthy, look for him to return to a starting role for the Giants.

McCutchen was named the NL Player of the Week after hitting .471 with two homers and nine RBI.

His final slash line (.279/.363/.486) doesn't do justice to the roller coaster ride in 2017. The soon-to-be 31-year-old slashed .361/.464/.652 over a 64-game stretch starting May 26, but he slumped for month-long stretches on multiple occasions. The Pirates hold a team option for $14.5 million in 2018, but the organization could decide to trade him or simply let him walk. Most likely, Pittsburgh will exercise the option and keep him for one last run in 2018. General manager Neal Huntington refused to tip his hand as to what direction the team might take with McCutchen, saying during his radio show Sunday that he'll announce plans surrounding McCutchen's option shortly after the end to the World Series. If McCutchen remains with the Pirates, it's expected that he'll return to center field on a full-time basis.