MLB Player News

Buehler (elbow) will make his second minor-league rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Buehler had his first rehab outing with OKC on Sunday, tossing 54 pitches over 3.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out two batters. Though he was far from sharp in the appearance and was clocked at about 1.0 mph below his norm, the right-hander appears to have come out of the start without any setbacks. Buehler is expected to make four minor-league rehab outings in total before potentially joining the Dodgers' big-league rotation in mid-to-late April.

Ohtani (elbow) has been throwing every other day, and he made 50 throws from approximately 60 feet on flat ground Monday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani was cleared to begin a throwing program in late March, and he's been engaging in an every-other-day program as he begins to build his arm back up following last September's Tommy John surgery. The two-way star won't pitch this season, but he's expected to be a part of the Dodgers' rotation next year, and he reportedly could see some time in the outfield or at first base later in the current campaign if the organization is comfortable with his rehab progress. Ohtani will stick to being the team's everyday DH in the meantime, though he's off to a slow start with a .242/.297/.333 slash line and no homers through 37 plate appearances.

Montero is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

Montero started the Rockies' first five games of the season but slashed just .143/.294/.143 with three walks and three strikeouts over those contests. He's on the bench Wednesday for the second day in a row and looks to be in danger of falling into a part-time role in the wake of his poor start to the season.

Stallings will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

Stallings will get his second start through the Rockies' first seven games of the season. The 2021 Gold Glove Award winner had spent much of the past two seasons in a near-even timeshare at catcher with Nick Fortes in Miami, but Stallings now finds himself as the clear No. 2 option in Colorado after signing a one-year deal with the club in January.

Winker (illness) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Pirates, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Winker had to be removed from Monday's 8-4 loss to Pittsburgh due to an illness. Even after Tuesday's off day, Winker won't rejoin the lineup, though it's unclear whether he's still not feeling well or if he's just getting an extra day to rest up. Eddie Rosario will play left field and Victor Robles will be in center while Winker is on the bench.

McMahon will start at third base and bat third in Wednesday's contest against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

McMahon has been batting fifth, but he's off to an 8-for-20 start and Nolan Jones (2-for-24) is slumping, so the two are flipping lineup spots. Kris Bryant will hit cleanup in between McMahon and Jones.

Wade is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

He'll remain on the bench with southpaw Zack Thompson on the hill for St. Louis, but the lefty-hitting Wade had already been withheld from the starting nine in two of the previous three games in which the Padres faced off against right-handers. After manning third base for each of San Diego's first three contests of the regular season, Wade's perch atop the depth chart seems to be loosening, with Graham Pauley and Eguy Rosario beginning to earn more playing time at his expense. All three players are likely to see their opportunities dwindle, however, once Manny Machado is cleared to play the hot corner on an everyday basis, as he remains limited to designated-hitter duties for now following October elbow surgery.

Jones will start in left field and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

It's been an ugly start to the season for Jones, who has gone just 2-for-24 at the plate with a 1:11 BB:K in his first six contests. He'll flip spots in the lineup Wednesday with Ryan McMahon, who has been elevated to the No. 3 position in the order. Jones' move down the lineup may only be a short-term demotion, as he could move back up once his bat begins to warm up.

Tovar will start at shortstop and bat second in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

Tovar batted leadoff one game, but his other five starts this season came from the seventh spot in the order. Rockies manager Bud Black is shaking up his lineup a bit in hopes of jumpstarting an offense that's averaging just 2.7 runs per game amid a 1-5 start to the season.

Higashioka will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Higashioka will pick up just his second start through the Padres' first nine contests of the season while Luis Campusano rests for the day game after he played all nine innings behind the dish in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. Assuming health prevails, Campusano looks primed to shoulder one of the heavier workloads among No. 1 catchers in baseball this season, so Higashioka's opportunities are expected to remain infrequent.