MLB Player News

Angels manager Phil Nevin said Saturday that he expects Ohtani (finger) to make his next start on the mound, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani's right middle finger has been giving him problems across his last three starts, but it doesn't seem like it will cost him any playing time on the mound. While Ohtani's pitching performance has dipped recently to the tune of a 5.51 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over his last three outings, he is still slashing .349/.442/.860 with six homers, nine RBI and 11 runs scored since June 27.

Ohtani (finger) will bat second and serve as the designated hitter Saturday against the Astros, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Ohtani has been dealing with a blister and a cracked nail, which forced him to exit his start Friday against the Astros early. It's possible his bothersome finger winds up delaying his next start in the mound, but it won't affect his ability to hit, at least not to the point that the Angels feel compelled to rest him.

Winker isn't in the Brewers' lineup Saturday against Cincinnati.

Winker will remain in the Brewers' dugout as the Reds send lefty Andrew Abbott to the mound to begin the game. Christian Yelich will assume DH duties Saturday while Blake Perkins starts in left field and bats sixth.

Ford entered Friday's loss to the Tigers as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and hit a solo home run in his only plate appearance.

Ford's 363-foot shot to right field brought the Mariners within a run, but Seattle ultimately failed to score again. The slugger has now left the yard in three of his last seven games overall, a span in which he's posted a .429 average and 1.526 OPS with seven extra-base hits and six RBI across 23 plate appearances.

Turner started at second base and went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's 8-3 win over the Cubs.

Turner's seventh-inning, two-run blast extended a hit streak to 10 games, during which he's 16-for-38 (.421) with three home runs and 14 RBI. His start at second base allowed manager Alex Cora to maximize the team's offensive potential. For one night, it worked. Turner, Jarren Duran (LF), Adam Duvall (CF) and Masataka Yoshida (DH) combined to go 6-for-18 with a double, two homers and two additional runs scored. Cora told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com that Turner will play second base about once per week.

Harper will be on the bench for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Padres.

Harper could play first base at some point soon, but for now, he won't be playing anywhere, with the Phillies seemingly not wanting to tax his surgically-repaired elbow by asking him to play twice in one day. Kyle Schwarber will move to the designated hitter spot, with Brandon Marsh sliding to left field and Johan Rojas set for his big-league debut in center.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 6-0 win over the Mets.

The veteran slugger took Dominic Leone deep in the eighth inning. Martinez has gone yard in three straight games sandwiched around the All-Star break, and over his last 13 contests he has seven of his 24 homers on the season, although his .259/.317/.667 slash line and 30 percent strikeout rate during that stretch are further signs the 35-year-old is becoming more of a one-dimensional power threat at this stage of his career.

Soler went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Orioles.

The veteran slugger took Yennier Cano deep in the eighth inning to bring the Marlins within a run, before the O's pulled away in the bottom of the frame. Soler extended his hitting streak to eight games in the process, and with 24 homers and 52 RBI through 89 contests, he remains on pace for his best power numbers since his 2019 campaign with the Royals.

Choi went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI on Friday against the Giants.

Choi belted his fourth home run of the season and second in as many games when he took Ross Stripling deep in the fifth inning. He's had a regular starting role since returning from the injured list July 7, and he's taken advantage by going 4-for-15 with a double in addition to his two long balls. However, he's at significant risk of losing playing time as early as Sunday, when Andrew McCutchen (elbow) is expected to return and will almost certainly resume his duties as the team's primary designated hitter.

Stanton went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Rockies.

The Yankees got off to a hot start with Stanton's first-inning blast, but that was it for their run production in the contest. He's starting to get back on track, going 11-for-38 (.289) with four homers and 11 RBI over his last 11 games. The veteran slugger is at a .211/.281/.454 slash line with 10 long balls, 25 RBI, 19 runs scored and seven doubles through 42 contests on the year.