MLB Player News

Torrens was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Friday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

The 26-year-old backstop put together a .618 OPS across 22 plate appearances and becomes a roster casualty following the reinstatement of Cody Bellinger from the paternity list Friday. Torrens could draw interest from teams in search of organizational depth behind the plate.

Vogelbach isn't starting Friday against Atlanta.

Atlanta will begin the game with the left-handed Max Fried on the bump, so the left-handed bat of Vogelbach will sit out Friday's contest. Mark Canha will instead serve as the Mets' DH, and Tommy Pham will start in left field while batting seventh.

Reyes is not in the starting lineup Friday versus the Twins, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Reyes will sit for the second time in three games Friday, heading to the bench after he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Thursday's loss. The slugger has now gone hitless in 13 at-bats since he returned from the paternity list Monday. Vinnie Pasquantino will take over at designated hitter while Nick Pratto starts at first base and bats sixth against Minnesota.

Martinez (back) isn't expected to return to the lineup Friday versus the Cardinals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Martinez is in line to miss a fourth consecutive game while he continues to experience discomfort on the left side of his lower back. It's possible he will undergo an MRI, at which point the team would have a better idea as to when he might be ready to play again. Will Smith (concussion) is expected to come off the 7-day injured list to serve as the club's designated hitter Friday.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a steal in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Dodgers.

McCutchen is already halfway to his total of eight stolen bases from last season, when he needed 134 games to get there. The veteran outfielder has hit safely in four straight games, going 4-for-16 with a home run and four RBI in that span. McCutchen has gotten off to a nice start in his return to Pittsburgh. He's now slashing .272/.371/.506 with five homers, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored through 97 plate appearances.

Miller was held out of Thursday's lineup against right-hander Gerrit Cole of the Yankees.

Even with players unavailable at two positions he can handle defensively -- Josh Jung (hand) at third base and Travis Jankowski (hip) in left field -- Miller could not crack the starting nine against Cole. The veteran has taken 44 of his 45 plate appearances this season against righties, but even with the platoon advantage, Miller has one hit over his last 14 at-bats and is batting .184 through 13 games.

Solak was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Friday.

Solak was up only for a few days and didn't receive a plate appearance. He'll head back to Gwinnett and wait for another call.

Buxton went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 7-1 win over Kansas City.

Buxton's three-run homer broke the game open in the fourth inning, extending Minnesota's lead to 6-1. The 29-year-old is slashing .244/.305/.488 so far this season, and he now has hits in six of his last seven games.

Rooker went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's loss to the Angels.

Rooker's lone hit of the contest was a productive one, as he slammed a three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani in the fourth inning to put Oakland on the board. It was the third long ball in the four-game series for Rooker, and he knocked in seven runs over that span. Rooker leads the Athletics with seven homers and 18 RBI on the campaign.

Ohtani (4-0) earned the win over Oakland on Thursday, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over six innings. He also went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, two runs and an RBI at the plate.

Ohtani started out the game on fire, retiring each of the first nine batters he faced, including five by strikeout. However, he uncharacteristically unraveled in the fourth frame, hitting two batters, issuing two walks, uncorking two wild pitches and serving up two homers as Oakland put up five runs. To his credit. Ohtani bounced back by retiring six of the final seven batters he faced, and he was rewarded with a victory for his efforts. The two-way star contributed to his win on the mound with a big day at the dish, falling a homer shy of the cycle and nearly completing the feat when he fell a few feet short of leaving the park in the eighth inning.