MLB Player News

Ohtani is not in the lineup Friday against the Twins, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Including days he's pitched, Ohtani has been in the lineup for each of the past 30 games, and he'll receive the day off Friday while mired in a 4-for-24 slump since the All-Star break. He's especially struggled over the past two contests with six strikeouts, so it's not a bad idea to provide him a day to reset. Justin Upton will serve as the designated hitter in his place while Juan Lagares starts in left field.

Solak was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

Solak has been a fixture at second base for the Rangers this season, but he'll move down to Triple-A to attempt to get back on track offensively. The 26-year-old had a solid start to the season but is slashing only .192/.252/.240 in 37 games since the start of June. Curtis Terry had his contract selected in a corresponding move.

Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Thursday's win over the Twins.

Believers in the mostly debunked Home Run Derby hangover theory are likely keeping tabs on Ohtani's performance, as he has gone 4-for-24 with 14 strikeouts since he participated in the contest. That said, manager Joe Maddon indicated that he is not worried about the two-way star in spite of his recent struggles, per the Associated Press. "He feels good. He's upbeat. He's constantly conversing with everybody. He'll come out of this thing. He's not going to be perfect all year," Maddon said.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay.

Ramirez got aboard with a single and stole second before scoring on an Austin Hedges sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. It was Ramirez's third stolen base of the season, which represents a career high. He's slashing a solid.279/.323/.441 with six home runs, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored through 220 plate appearances as a regular option in the corner outfield.

Reyes went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay.

The designated hitter has come out swinging for the fences after the All-Star break. His homer Thursday was his third in the last six games. Reyes is up to 17 long balls, 45 RBI, 30 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases while slashing .264/.317/.587 through 218 plate appearances. He should be a fixture in the heart of Cleveland's order during the second half of the season.

Belt (knee) will start running the bases over the weekend, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports.

Belt resumed light baseball activity early in July and is set to begin the next step toward his return. After the diagnosis, he opted to avoid surgery in an effort to return to the field faster, though there is still no timetable for his activation off the injured list.

Stanton could start in left field Saturday against the Red Sox, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton has been in the lineup exclusively as the designated hitter for each of the last two seasons. Interestingly, his return to the outfield could come in an American League park, where the team still has the benefit of a designated hitter. Instead, manager Aaron Boone suggested the decision to play Stanton in the outfield for the first time since Game 1 of the 2019 ALCS could come due to the fact that there is less ground to cover in left field at Fenway Park.

Lewis (knee) will begin light tee work and soft toss within the next several days, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Lewis has not yet begun running, but he continues to make some progress towards a return. The team has remained optimistic that he'll play again at some point this season, though any potential return remains at least several weeks away at this point.

Turner (knee) is starting at third base and batting third Thursday against the Giants, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

The veteran third baseman took the day off Wednesday after suffering a bruise on his left knee during Tuesday's contest, and he'll rejoin the lineup after missing only one game. Turner is 5-for-20 with two homers, two doubles, five RBI and five runs in six games since the All-Star break.

McCutchen isn't in the lineup Thursday against Atlanta.

McCutchen had recorded extra-base hits in each of the last three games with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI and two runs during that time. He'll get a breather as Odubel Herrera shifts to left field while Travis Jankowski starts in center.