MLB Player News

Ohtani (finger) is in the Angels' lineup Wednesday in San Diego, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani had to be removed from Tuesday's start on the mound because of a blister on his right middle finger, but it won't cost him a start at designated hitter. He is batting third against Seth Lugo and the Padres.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Turner could be used at second base in the coming days as the team looks to jumpstart its offense, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Turner has made four appearances at second base this season, but his last start at the position came all the way back in September of 2015. Given that he's now 38, it would be a stretch to think he could handle the position regularly. It seems as if the Red Sox might be willing to give it a try, though, given how little they've gotten from the keystone from an offensive standpoint. Turner's fantasy managers would certainly welcome him picking up second base eligibility.

Winker is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs.

Jahmai Jones will fill the DH role for the Brewers with left-hander Justin Steele set to toe the slab for the visiting Cubs. Winker has drawn only 13 plate appearances this year versus lefties, compared to his 156 plate appearances versus righties.

Soler went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's 15-2 win over St. Louis.

Soler had cooled off considerably since a torrid stretch in late May/early June. His three-hit performance Tuesday was just his second multi-hit effort in his last 21 games. Soler came into the day amid a 7-for-48 (.146) slump with just one homer in his prior 13 contests. Still, it's been a strong year overall for the 31-year-old slugger. Soler's slashing .248/.345/.523 with 22 homers, 49 RBI and 48 runs scored across 348 plate appearances in his second season with Miami.

Ford went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a solo home run and an additional run in a win over the Giants on Tuesday.

Ford has been trending up at the plate for some time, and Tuesday might ultimately qualify as the crescendo in that hot streak. The trio of extra-base hits means Ford has almost as many combined doubles and home runs (nine) as singles (10) across his 74 plate appearances. Ford's slugging percentage is also now up to a career-high .618, the byproduct of a career-best 48.9 percent hard-hit rate per Statcast.

Buxton went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional runs scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Royals.

He took Zack Greinke deep in the fifth inning, giving Buxton 15 homers on the year, while his seventh-inning steal was his eighth. The 29-year-old has eight hits in his last six games, including two separate contests with a home run and a stolen base, and while his .216/306/.457 slash line on the season remains disappointing, he's showing signs of turning things around in the second half.

Ohtani was removed from Tuesday's start against the Padres due to a blister on his right middle finger.

The Angels specified Ohtani was removed as the pitcher, so he's still able to serve as the team's designated hitter Tuesday. Ohtani had been dealing with a cracked fingernail on the same finger during his previous start, but he was able to continue hitting between mound appearances. He's not scheduled to make another start until after the All-Star break, so it's possible his playing time as both a hitter and pitcher don't take much of a hit.

Ohtani was pulled from his start Tuesday against the Padres with an apparent injury, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

After Ohtani gave up back-to-back homers to Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth in the sixth inning, Angels trainers came out to take a look at his cracked fingernail -- the same thing that caused Ohtani to leave his previous start June 27. More updates on his status will come shortly, but fantasy managers should consider Ohtani day-to-day in the meantime.

McCutchen is back in the lineup Tuesday versus the Dodgers.

McCutchen sat out of Monday's series opener after going 0-for-8 with two strikeouts in the final two games of the Pirates' three-game weekend set against the Brewers. He is serving as Pittsburgh's designated hitter and leadoff man Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Brantley has been shut down from baseball activities due to continued issues with his surgically repaired right shoulder, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday that Brantley's recovery had plateaued and now the club has made the decision to shut him down for a while. The 36-year-old had shoulder labrum surgery last August and has experienced numerous setbacks on his road to recovery. His timetable to return is open-ended.