MLB Player News

Whisenhunt is slated to start Friday's game against the Padres in San Diego.

Whisenhunt will receive a second turn through the rotation after he took the loss last Sunday against the Angels, striking out seven and allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. With Trevor McDonald (elbow) and Hayden Birdsong (elbow) done for the season and Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle both candidates to be dealt ahead of Monday's trade deadline, Whisenhunt should have a fairly clear path to sticking around in the rotation.

Springs (hip) is listed as the Athletics' probable starting pitcher for Friday's game against the Tigers in Sacramento.

The left-hander exited his previous start Sunday midway through the second inning due to right hip discomfort, but he was apparently able to navigate his between-starts throwing program without issue. Returning to the bump at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, Springs won't be a recommended lineup option in the majority of fantasy leagues. He hasn't delivered a quality start since May 17 and has gone 0-6 with an 8.82 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in his last 11 outings.

Henriquez will serve as the opener in Friday's game against the Red Sox, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers are treating the series opener as a bullpen day, with Henriquez likely to be lifted from the contest after an inning or two. Henriquez, who will be making his first MLB start, owns a 2.79 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 42:19 K:BB over 41 appearances on the season.

Langford went 1-for-4 with with a walk, a double and an RBI in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Rays.

Langford gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning with a run-scoring double. He seems to have moved past an ankle injury suffered last weekend, when he fouled two balls off his foot, even though he didn't miss any time. However, Langford has gone just 3-for-21 (.143) in the five games since.

Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that he expects Ohtani (knee) to return to the lineup as the designated hitter and leadoff batter in Friday's series opener versus the Red Sox, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani was held out of the starting nine Thursday while tending to soreness in his inflamed left knee, an injury that initially forced him out of a June 11 game. The two-way phenom hasn't made an appearance as a pitcher since July 3 because of the knee issue and, to a lesser extent, a right biceps injury, is still presenting some lingering discomfort when he gets on the mound. Ohtani has continued to serve as the Dodgers' everyday DH and has been performing well at the plate in spite of the knee issue, producing a .265/.326/.518 slash line with five home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs in 21 July games. However, he hasn't attempted a stolen base in July, and his contributions in the running game could remain limited over the final two months of the season.

Bradford (elbow) struck out seven and allowed four hits and no walks over four scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock.

Making the fourth start of his rehab assignment, Bradford spotted 40 of his 56 pitches for strikes and induced 15 swings and misses. The left-hander -- who is working his way back from a June 2025 internal brace surgery -- has permitted just one run between stops with Round Rock and Double-A Frisco while posting a stellar 16:2 K:BB in 10 innings. While Jordan Montgomery (elbow) appears likely to beat him back from the 60-day injured list to take over a spot in the Texas rotation, Bradford could end up claiming a starting role once he's cleared to return. The 28-year-old will likely need just one or two more rehab starts before coming off the shelf.

Rodon (elbow) threw a "two up" session of about 30 pitches that went well Wednesday, and manager Aaron Boone said it's unclear if he'll next make a minor-league rehab start, MLB.com reports.

Rodon seems to be progressing well from the left elbow inflammation that has kept him sidelined for over a month. The veteran lefty is likely to need a rehab assignment before being activated from the IL, but for now it's uncertain if Rodon will complete additional live throwing sessions before logging game action. The hope continues to be that Rodon will be back in the big-league rotation at some point in August.

Chisholm (leg), who was removed from Thursday's game against the White Sox in the 11th inning, was dealing with cramping, MLB.com reports.

That's encouraging news after the speedy Chisholm had to be replaced by a pinch runner in the 11th frame after being intentionally walked. The veteran infielder limped off the field following a groundout in the ninth, but manager Aaron Boone said after the contest that the incident was the beginning of Chisholm's cramping issue rather than another type of injury, per the New York Post. Chisholm shared that he received treatment for the issue and is improving, so there's a chance he'll be back in the lineup Friday.

Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk in Thursday's 6-2 win against Seattle.

Hernandez got a day off his feet as Los Angeles' designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani (knee) resting Thursday. The chance to focus on hitting seemed to benefit Hernandez, as he crushed a 412-foot solo shot to center field in the sixth inning for his first long ball since July 3 -- a span of 19 games. The veteran outfielder had just one RBI while batting a meager .177 during the homerless stretch. Hernandez did hit five long balls in August last year -- his most in any month aside from April -- so perhaps he's on the verge of turning things around amidst what has been a very quiet campaign by his typical standards.

Rushing went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Thursday in a 6-2 win against the Mariners.

Rushing's three-run blast in the fourth inning gave the Dodgers all the scoring they needed to emerge with the victory. The second-year backstop endured an 0-for-19, 10-strikeout stretch at the plate during a portion of July, but he's since turned things around, batting .375 with two homers and six RBI over his past seven contests. Rushing continues to work as Los Angeles' primary catcher, though Will Smith (neck) recently resumed baseball activities and could be back with the big club before the midpoint of August.