MLB Player News

Alvarez went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-2 victory over the Red Sox.

Alvarez went back-to-back with Alex Bregman in the first inning Tuesday, staking Houston to an early 2-0 lead. The 26-year-old Alvarez has logged multiple hits in each of his last four games -- he's gone 11-for-20 (.550) with two homers and a 1.609 OPS in that span, boosting his slash line to .293/.397/.576 with 23 homers, 77 RBI and 61 runs scored through 373 plate appearances in another impressive campaign.

Ohtani went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Phillies.

Ohtani reached on an infield single in the third inning, drove in a run on a fifth-inning single and added an RBI double in the ninth. The 29-year-old superstar compiled an impressive .319/.426/.593 slash line in August, hitting five home runs, eight doubles, 13 RBI, 19 runs and seven steals. While it's certainly disappointing that Ohtani won't be returning to the mound this season due to a torn UCL in his right elbow, his work at the plate serves as a valuable consolation prize.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Belt wasn't available Tuesday against Washington after experiencing lower back spasms, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.

Belt was left out of the Jays' lineup Tuesday due to left-hander MacKenzie Gore serving as Washington's starter, but back spasms prevented him from entering as a pinch hitter/runner. Belt's status for Wednesday's contest is unclear, but an update on his status will presumably come before the game.

Buxton (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with a strained right hamstring, and he's now set to begin the final stage of his rehab process. There's no official word on how long Buxton will remain in the minors, but an early-September return is expected.

Brantley (shoulder) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

The 36-year-old has yet to see major-league action this season while recovering from the shoulder surgery he underwent last August, but he's now ready for his 2023 debut after a seven-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. Given the length of his absence, Brantley could initially fill a part-time role for the Astros.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest versus the Yankees.

Cabrera served as the Tigers' designated hitter for the previous two games but will begin this one on the bench. Kerry Carpenter will be the DH and Riley Greene will play right field.

Alvarez went 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, two runs scored and two walks in Monday's win against Boston.

Alvarez's terrific night was highlighted by his three-run shot in the sixth inning. It was his 22nd home run of the year and first since Aug. 6, snapping an 18-game homereless drought. He's driven in seven runs over the last two games, giving him 76 this season. Alvarez boosted his OPS to .954 with 39 extra-base hits through 85 games.

Alvarez went 2-for-6 with a double, a walk, a run scored and three RBI on Sunday against the Tigers.

Alvarez was forced to miss games on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a finger injury but has hit well in four games since returning. In that span, he's driven in four while collecting five hits across 17 at-bats with no strikeouts. Alvarez has been on a relative cold streak with no homers spanning his last 18 games, though he still has a .265 ISO and .928 OPS across 362 plate appearances on the season.

Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's 17-4 loss to the Astros.

Cabrera's three-run blast came in the eighth inning off Phil Maton to finally get the Tigers on the board. It was just his third home run of the year but the 510th home run of his career, which moves him up to 26th on baseball's all-time list. Cabrera is now slashing .248/.318/.343 with 24 RBI, 16 runs and a 26:57 BB:K in 283 plate appearances as he's filled a semi-regular role most of the season.

Buxton (hamstring) will run the bases Monday and take live at-bats Tuesday before potentially heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton doesn't look as though he's on pace to return from the 10-day injured list when the Twins' roster expands from 26 to 28 men Friday, but he could be activated soon after that if he's able to head out on a rehab assignment this weekend. According to Hayes, the Twins are still planning on having Buxton log some time in center field during his time in the minors. Once activated, the 29-year-old looks like he'll get the chance to play his first innings in the field with the big club in 2023 after serving exclusively as a designated hitter prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 4.