MLB Player News

Pederson (back) is starting in left field and batting leadoff Tuesday at San Diego.

The 29-year-old has been held out of the lineup since exiting Saturday's contest with back tightness, but he'll rejoin the starting nine Tuesday. Pederson is mired in a 2-for-22 slump over his past seven games, though both hits were home runs.

Manager Joe Maddon confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for Friday's game against Arizona, but he doesn't plan on having the two-way star start in the outfield during the remainder of the series, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani will hit as the pitcher in the NL park Friday, but based on Maddon's comments, he'll be limited to pinch-hit duty Saturday and Sunday. Considering that Ohtani has logged some innings in the outfield, it's possible he could see some time out there off the bench over the weekend.

Choi (groin) is feeling much better and has a chance to return from the injured list when first eligible Sunday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi hit the injured list for the second time this season when he strained his left groin in early June. The issue doesn't appear to be a particularly serious one, however, so his return is on the horizon.

Ramirez will be on the bench Tuesday in St. Louis.

Cleveland's default starting nine will be down a member in both games of the two-game series, which takes place in a National League park. Eddie Rosario, Bradley Zimmer and Josh Naylor will start from left to right across the outfield Tuesday.

Belt (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt landed on the 10-day injured list with the oblique injury May 26. Considering that oblique injuries often require lengthy absences, his return wound up being on the quicker side. He'll bat fourth and play first base in his return.

Martinez (wrist) will bat cleanup and serve as the designated hitter Tuesday against the Astros, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

A left wrist issue kept Martinez out of the lineup for three straight games, but the Red Sox didn't expect the injury to warrant a trip to the injured list. That's indeed the case, as he's back in action Tuesday and will look to build on a bounce-back season that has seen him hit .321/.389/.569 through 54 games.

Manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday that Brantley (hamstring) will be activated from the injured list and start in Tuesday's series opener against the Red Sox, SportsTalk 790 reports.

Reports last week indicated that Brantley was on track to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list early in Houston's road trip, and it appears that the outfielder will rejoin the lineup Tuesday at Fenway Park. Though Baker has yet to release the starting nine, he did note that Brantley will be batting slightly lower than usual in his return. With that said, the 34-year-old will almost surely work his way back toward the top of the Astros' order as he gets back into the swing of things.

Ohtani went 0-for-1 with three walks, a steal and a run in an 8-3 victory over Kansas City on Monday.

Ohtani has taken three free passes in back-to-back contests, and he's swiped a bag in both of those games as well. Though he's hit only one home run while going 5-for-29 over his past 10 contests, Ohtani has collected three thefts over that period and still owns a strong .255/.339/.585 batting line for the season.

Soler went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Angels. He was also hit by a pitch.

Soler has gone just 2-for-12 since returning from a groin injury. The 29-year-old has struggled to provide much power this year -- he's hit five homers while posting a .320 slugging percentage in 54 games. He's added 25 RBI, 19 runs scored and 11 doubles across 207 plate appearances.

Pederson (back) remains on the bench Monday against the Padres.

Pederson exited Saturday's game against the Giants and didn't take part in Sunday's contest. He's reportedly feeling better but will sit for at least one more game. Ian Happ slides to left field in his absence, with Jake Marisnick starting in center.