MLB Player News

Belt (side) isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Reds, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Belt will be on the bench for a fifth straight game as he continues to deal with side tightness. Darin Ruf will start at first base and bat third.

Choi is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Choi will be one of several left-handed hitters heading to the bench Wednesday with southpaw John Means on the bump for the Orioles. Yandy Diaz will start at first base and Francisco Mejia will serve as the designated hitter with Choi out of the lineup.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to Cleveland.

Ohtani hit a no-doubter, 440-foot homer in the first inning for his fourth long ball in his last five games. The 26-year-old continues to be the talk of the league, as he leads all of baseball with 14 home runs while dazzling on the mound once a week. The Angels will likely need him to produce even more after the team placed Mike Trout on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a calf strain, which is expected to keep him out 6-to-8 weeks. The two-way sensation is slashing .271/.323/.632 with 33 RBI and 32 runs scored, and he's just outside the top 10 among all qualified hitters with a .956 OPS.

Harper went 2-for-5 with two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Marlins.

Harper snapped a two-game hitless run and plated a run for the first time since May 11. He has hit safely in five of his last seven contests, and while he has just one home run across his last 51 at-bats, he's still hitting .311 on the season while providing value across the board.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double Tuesday against the Athletics.

Alvarez got the Astros on the board with a two-RBI double in the first inning. He was held out of Sunday's contest with soreness in his legs, but he had no trouble getting back into a groove at the plate in his return. After another productive game, Alvarez is hitting .346/.372/.596 with seven home runs, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored across 145 plate appearances on the campaign.

Stanton (quadriceps) took part in weight-room activities in addition to indoor batting Tuesday and is expected to return May 25, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The slugger was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, but the move was retroactive to May 14. The Yankees are off May 24, so Stanton's earliest possible return date is next Tuesday against Toronto. Given his ability to already lift weights and swing the bat, the veteran's injury doesn't appear to be particularly severe. He has nine home runs and 24 RBI in 131 at-bats this season, so a quick return would be a major boon to the Yankees' offense.

Solak went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Yankees.

His fifth-inning solo shot chased Jameson Taillon from the game and brought the Rangers within a run, but they never got any closer. Solak had gone 19 straight games without a homer, slashing .213/.289/.307 during his power drought, but he's hitting a solid .269 with eight home runs, 21 RBI and 31 runs through 44 contests.

Choi went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk during Tuesday's 13-6 win at Baltimore.

The 30-year-old returned from the injured list over the weekend and has provided an immediate boost to Tampa Bay's lineup. Choi is 4-for-8 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs through his first two games of 2021.

Dickerson went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and a double during Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Reds.

The 30-year-old clubbed a three-run shot to right field off Luis Castillo during fourth inning, which is his first homer since April 20, due in part to him spending a stint on the injured list with a shoulder injury. Dickerson has a .230/.287/.391 slash line with four home runs, two doubles, 16 RBI and 10 runs through 33 games in 2020.

Blackmon (groin) is starting in right field and batting fifth Tuesday against the Padres.

The 34-year-old was held out of the lineup the past three games with a mild groin strain, but he'll rejoin the starting nine for Tuesday's contest. Blackmon posted a .339/.406/.435 slash line over the 17 games prior to the injury and will attempt to pick up where he left off.