MLB Player News

McCutchen will sit Thursday against the Mets.

McCutchen's 34-year-old legs should see fairly frequent rest this season, and an early afternoon contest seems like the perfect opportunity for that. He's struggled at the plate thus far, hitting .139/.279/.278 in 43 plate appearances. Matt Joyce will take over in left field in his absence.

Turner went 2-for-4 with a home run and an additional RBI in a win over Colorado on Wednesday.

Turner put the Dodgers on the board in the first inning with a run-scoring single. He tacked on another run in the third with a solo shot to center field. The veteran third baseman has gotten off to a hot start to the campaign, slashing .390/.435/.732 across 46 plate appearances. Turner has also slammed three homers and driven in 10 runs.

Mercedes went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's win over Cleveland.

Mercedes contributed to a six-run first inning for the White Sox with a three-run blast to left field off Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. The homer was the third of the season for Mercedes and pushed his RBI total to 10. The 28-year-old has been one of baseball's most pleasant surprises thus far in 2021, generating an incredible .500/.548/.816 slash line through 42 plate appearances.

Buxton was out of the lineup for both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Red Sox due to hamstring tightness, Darren Wolfson of KSTP 5 News reports.

The injury wasn't initially reported, but it's not a major surprise to discover the 27-year-old is banged up since he didn't start either contest of the twin bill. The severity of the issue remains unclear, but the Twins are likely to remain cautious with Buxton given his injury history. Jake Cave started both ends of the doubleheader in center field for Minnesota and should see increased playing time until Buxton retakes the field.

Buxton is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

This is noteworthy considering Buxton wasn't in the lineup for Game 1 either. Jake Cave is starting in center field and batting ninth.

Manager Scott Servais said Lewis (knee) fielded fly balls and took some live at-bats at the Mariners' alternate site Wednesday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Lewis looks to be nearing a full recovery from the bone bruise in his right knee that has sidelined him since late in spring training, but he'll still need to run the bases at 100 percent speed before the Mariners are comfortable with activating him from the 10-day injured list. Servais suggested that Lewis could be ready to return from the IL at some point during the Mariners' upcoming homestand that begins Friday.

Alvarez was placed on the injured list for an unspecified reason Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was one of five Astros who were placed on the injured list Wednesday. While the team hasn't specifically stated that the players have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list, it appears as though the players are currently in MLB's health and safety protocols. It's not yet clear whether Alvarez has tested positive for COVID-19, but he'll be able to return as soon as he's clears the protocols that pertain to his specific situation. Aledmys Diaz could serve as the team's primary designated hitter in Alvarez's absence.

Ohtani threw a 23-pitch bullpen session Wednesday without a bandage covering his blistered right middle finger, but the Angels have yet to determine when he'll make his next start on the mound, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

After throwing a light, 10-pitch bullpen session Monday, Ohtani took a step forward in terms of intensity and volume of pitches Wednesday. The Angels will check back in on Ohtani on Thursday before deciding when to reintegrate him into the rotation, but he won't be an option for this weekend's three-game series versus Minnesota, as the Angels have already penciled in other pitchers to start Friday through Sunday. Ohtani -- who is serving as a designated hitter in Wednesday's series finale with the Royals -- could rejoin the rotation as soon as April 19 versus the Rangers. According to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register, manager Joe Maddon said that whenever Ohtani makes his next start on the mound, his pitch count will likely be "dialed back" as a precaution. Maddon also hinted that Ohtani could be piggybacked in that outing by a long reliever.

Vogelbach will start at first base and bat second Wednesday against the Cubs.

Kolten Wong's (oblique) recent move to the injured list appears to have indirectly opened up a regular spot in the lineup for Vogelbach versus right-handed pitching. In place of Wong, Keston Hiura will pick up his second start at second base in three days Wednesday, allowing Vogelbach to pick up his third start in four days at first base. With his playing time on the rise, Vogelbach could make for an intriguing short-term pickups for fantasy managers looking for power production.

Buxton isn't in the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton has been on a tear recently, as he went 10-for-18 with five extra-base hits, five RBI and four runs in the past four contests. However, Jake Cave will take over in center field for Wednesday's matinee, batting seventh.