MLB Player News

Ohtani is now up to five homers on the season, but it’s the first time he’s been able to go deep since April 7; a major power outage — for him, anyway. The 30-year-old has done nothing over the first 17 games of 2025 to suggest he won’t be as good as any hitter in baseball, even with a week without dingers.

Jung reportedly sustained the injury on a swing in which he shattered his bat, then he appeared to open the wound further while making a bare-handed play in the field. It doesn’t seem like the type of injury that should lead to an extended absence, but with Jung you can never be too sure. Expect the Rangers to provide an update on his status after the game.

Katie Woo of The Athletic confirms the report and adds that Thomas Saggese will be optioned out to create the spot on the team’s active roster. Barrero has been swinging a hot bat at the Triple-A level, slashing .299/.396/.517 with four homers, 13 RBI and five swipes through his first 23 ballgames. He’s unlikely to see enough playing time to gain relevancy from a fantasy perspective.

Lodolo had a no-hitter going until Jordan Beck was credited with an infield single in the bottom of the sixth. Elly De La Cruz made the tough play initially, but his throw pulled Spencer Steer off the bag. The other hit in the seventh was a roller down the third base line that Noelvi Marte hoped would go foul but wound up hitting the bag. The Reds probably didn’t mind, though, as they weren’t going to want Lodolo throwing the 110+ pitches it likely would have taken to complete a no-hitter. He struck out nine and walked one on the day. Lodolo is 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA, and he should remain one of the NL’s top lefties for as long as his body holds up. He’ll face the Nationals next.

Blalock, who struck out just one, was charged with three runs in the first and three more in the fifth, when he failed to retire a batter. Blalock should return to Triple-A after this.

If Marte is still unrostered in your league, it’s something that needs to change right away. He’s 15-for-38 with three homers, 15 RBI and three steals in nine games since being recalled for the second time.

The Reds probably can’t release Candelario when he’s not even halfway through his three-year, $45 million contract, but he was bad last year and he’s been considerably worse while opening this season 9-for-80 with 29 strikeouts. He might lose even more playing time when Tyler Stephenson is activated, since Stephenson will likely DH at least once or twice per week.

The steal was his sixth of the season, and he’s now up to 23 RBI as well. The batting average is a little low, but Yelich looks healthy, and the hits should start to fall with more regularity in the weeks ahead.

The Cardinals’ offense has struggled a bit of late, but Nootbaar continues to perform and is slashing .272/.409/.427 on the season. The power hasn’t quite come with the consistency that many were hoping for, but he has been a great value for anybody who took him in drafts.

The left-hander struck out six and walked three on the day, while posting a 21 percent whiff rate and 28 percent CSW. Quintana has done this regularly throughout his career. He may not have overpowering stuff, but he knows how to pitch, and when his command is on, he’s going to have stretches of solid production. However, he is a really risky play next week against the Cubs.

The veteran struck out four, walked two, and allowed an average exit velocity of 93.4 mph on the day. He now sports a 4.68 ERA and is not a recommended play against the Mets next week.