MLB Player News

Ohtani (biceps/knee) is slated to hit in the batting cage Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani is out of the lineup for the third straight day Saturday as he deals with right biceps soreness and lingering left knee inflammation. To this point, the Dodgers have hesitated from putting him on the injured list, and how Ohtani feels during and after Saturday's hitting session could go a long way toward determining his timeline to return. Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that should Ohtani be placed on the injured list, it will have to be the 15-day IL due to his status as a two-way player.

Ohtani (knee/biceps) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Ohtani will sit out a third consecutive game Saturday as he continues to manage soreness in his knee and biceps. The Dodgers remain hopeful that he won't require a trip to the injured list, though a move may be necessary if he isn't able to return to the lineup within the next several days. Dalton Rushing will serve as Los Angeles' designated hitter and bat seventh.

Bell went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during a 4-1 loss to the White Sox on Friday.

Bell scored the lone Twins run Friday with a solo shot in the ninth inning off Grant Taylor. The long ball broke a drought of 12 straight games without a blast. Over his last 30 games, Bell is slashing .304/.380/.473 with five homers and 21 RBI in 125 plate appearances.

Herrera went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 7-6 victory over the Rockies.

Herrera delivered the game's decisive swing with St. Louis trailing 6-4 in the ninth with a 430-foot blast to center field to give the Cardinals a one-run lead in the top of the ninth. The homer was his 15th of the season and completed a comeback after the Cardinals had squandered an early three-run advantage. Herrera has had four multi-hit performances in his last five games, and this homer snapped a 15-game stretch without a long ball.

Suarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Friday's 10-7 loss to Milwaukee.

Suarez returned from a two-game absence after passing his US naturalization test. He celebrated with a two-run shot in the third inning, his 21st home run of the season. Suarez has homered three times in the last six games and driven in nine runs during that stretch.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Alvarez was the only Houston player to record multiple hits. He hit a single in the third inning, advanced to third on Isaac Paredes' RBI double and later scored on Jose Altuve's sacrifice fly. Alvarez added another single in the fifth. He's posting pedestrian numbers of late, hitting .242 with a .745 OPS over his last 10 games, but he remains the most dangerous hitter in the Astros' lineup by a wide margin.

Manager Dave Roberts said after Friday's game that he does not expect Ohtani (knee/biceps) to play Saturday against the Nationals, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

If Ohtani ends up sitting Saturday, it would mark the first time since he joined the Dodgers that he's missed three consecutive games. Prior to Friday's contest, Roberts said he was still "hopeful" Ohtani would avoid the injured list, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. "I wouldn't say confident, but hopeful," Roberts said. Ohtani is dealing with lingering knee and biceps issues, injuries which have kept him from pitching in a game since July 3.

Rice went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Padres.

Rice has six multi-hit efforts over his last 11 games, going 16-for-46 (.348) in that span. He's added two homers, two doubles and eight RBI during the hot stretch. Rice is batting .257 with an .875 OPS, 36 homers, 88 RBI, 87 runs scored, 22 doubles, three triples and three stolen bases through 135 contests this season as the Yankees' primary designated hitter.

Gasper went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during the Red Sox's 1-0 win over the Orioles on Friday.

Gasper's solo homer off Shane Baz in the first inning proved to be the only run scored in Friday's affair. Gasper has made the most of his opportunities in the big leagues, and the Red Sox will lean on him now due to Willson Contreras (hamstring) being on the 10-day injured list. Since mid-August, Gasper has gone 17-for-45 (.378) with eight home runs, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored. If he continues his strong play at the plate, the Red Sox may have to make some tough roster decisions when one of Contreras, Curtis Mead (wrist) or Masataka Yoshida (hamstring) returns from the IL.

Ohtani (biceps/knee) is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Nationals on Friday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani has been working through lingering knee and biceps injuries and will be out of the lineup for a second consecutive game as a result. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Ohtani as still viewed as "day-to-day," and the hope is that he can avoid a stint on the IL, per Woo. The injuries have delayed his pitching progression, and it's becoming increasingly uncertain whether he'll return to the mound before the end of the regular season. Alex Call will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat seventh Friday while Tommy Edman hits out of the leadoff spot.