MLB Player News

Ohtani was removed from Saturday's game versus the Padres due to back tightness, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said his level of concern regarding the injury is "minimal," but the skipper is leaning toward holding Ohtani out of Sunday's lineup as a precaution. Roberts will wait to see how Ohtani feels Sunday morning before making a final determination. Before exiting Saturday's contest, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Nootbaar went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Brewers.

Nootbaar was one of five Cardinals with multiple hits in the contest, but it still wasn't enough to break the team out of its skid. The outfielder has gone 8-for-35 (.229) in May, adding four RBI and three extra-base hits in that span. He's still struggling overall with a .198/.294/.354 slash line through 110 plate appearances. Nootbaar has added three home runs, two stolen bases, 11 RBI and eight runs scored, and he appears to have a near-everyday role in the outfield since most of the rest of the Cardinals aren't hitting much better than he is.

Kittredge (0-2) allowed three runs on two hits and a walk without striking out a batter in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Saturday versus the Brewers.

Kittredge allowed just one run over his first 13 appearances of the season, but he's now given up four runs across his last three outings to begin May. Rhys Hoskins tagged the reliever for a three-run home run in the seventh inning Saturday, giving Kittredge his second blown save and second loss of the campaign. The right-hander sits with a 2.87 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 15:4 K:BB and 10 holds over 15.2 innings, but it appears his dominance from early in the season is waning.

Gibson allowed two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out seven over five-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Brewers on Saturday.

Gibson also hit a batter, which forced in the Brewers' first run of the game. The wildness brought an end to his four-start run of quality starts, as he threw just 55 of 104 pitches for strikes Saturday. Gibson is at a 3.67 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 40:20 K:BB through 49 innings across eight starts this season. He had a 2.6 BB/9 in each of the previous two seasons, but it's now at 3.7 in 2024. While that hasn't led to more damage in the runs column, it's a dangerous trend for a 36-year-old whose best trait is his ability to eat innings. Gibson is projected to make his next start at home versus the Red Sox.

Bauers went 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Cardinals.

Bauers got plunked by St. Louis starter Kyle Gibson in the third inning to force in the first run of the game. After losing playing time to Tyler Black earlier in the month, Bauers has gotten in the lineup for four straight games, going 4-for-10 with three walks, two steals, four RBI and three runs in that span. The 28-year-old is likely to remain in a strong-side platoon role with most of his playing time coming in the corner outfield. He's up to a .231/.318/.436 slash line through 88 plate appearances on the season.

Hoskins went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Cardinals.

Hoskins' blast came in the seventh inning off reliever Andrew Kittredge, and it put the Brewers ahead for good. Over the last four games, Hoskins is 5-for-15 with three homers and eight RBI. The first baseman's surge has him up to nine long balls, 26 RBI, 17 runs scored, a stolen base and a .233/.338/.481 slash line through 36 contests overall.

Megill allowed two hits in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Cardinals. He did not strike out or walk a batter.

Megill made things a little hairy by allowing two-out singles to Lars Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt before getting Nolan Arenado to line out. The save was Megill's fourth of the season, all of which have come in his last five outings. The right-hander owns a 0.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 8:3 K:BB while also earning three holds over 9.2 innings this season. Megill has been the committee leader for saves recently, and that should continue at least until Joel Payamps (bereavement) is back with the Brewers.

Peralta allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Saturday.

Peralta threw 71 of 100 pitches for strikes in his return from a five-game suspension. The right-hander earned his first quality start in four outings and his fourth of the year, though he's yet to pitch past the sixth inning this season. He's at a solid 3.63 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and 58:16 K:BB over 44.2 innings through eight starts. Peralta's next start is projected to be on the road in Houston.

Matos was pulled from a game at Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday in case he's needed to replace Michael Conforto (hamstring) on the Giants' roster, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Conforto is dealing with a right hamstring strain and is set to undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury. Matos has spent virtually the entire season with Sacramento and has struggled, having come into play Saturday slashing .221/.312/.361 with three home runs and three steals. He and Heliot Ramos could be the top options in left field for San Francisco if Conforto misses time.

Fraley went 3-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Giants.

Fraley was the only Cincinnati hitter with multiple hits in the contest. He had gone 14 games without a multi-hit effort, batting a paltry .132 (5-for-38) in that span. That stretch put a significant damper on the outfielder's solid start to the year, but he's still slashing .304/.368/.392 with six steals, one home run, five RBI and 16 runs scored over 87 plate appearances. Fraley sat out a couple of games versus right-handed pitchers early in May, but it appears that was temporary as he has resumed a strong-side platoon role between right field and designated hitter.