MLB Player News

Stanton (hamstring) did defensive work Friday and will be part of the outfield mix once he returns from the injured list, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Injuries are a perennial part of the picture with Stanton, and he made it until only mid-April before suffering his first of the year. He's nearly a month into what was expected to be a six-week absence due to a hamstring strain and appears to be making steady progress, though his exact return date has yet to become clear.

Rooker will sit Saturday against the Rangers.

Rooker hit a walk-off three-run homer Friday, raising his season slash line to .319/.428/.673. His reward will be a day off, with JJ Bleday getting the start in left field while Jordan Diaz serves as the designated hitter.

Buxton will sit Saturday against the Cubs.

Buxton has exclusively served as the designated hitter this season, but the plan has enabledhim to start nearly every day. He'll hit the bench Saturday after starting 14 consecutive games, with Alex Kirilloff getting the chance to rest his legs in the DH spot. Buxton has gone hitless in seven straight games, so the Twins will hope the off day helps him reset at the plate.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk Friday against the White Sox.

Alvarez added an insurance run with his ninth-inning homer, his ninth long ball of the season. He's shown plenty of power of late, going deep in back-to-back games and five times in his last 15 starts. Unsurprisingly, he has an impressive .408 wOBA and 164 wRC+ to go along with 35 RBI across 32 games this season.

Rooker went 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run in Friday's 9-7 victory over the Rangers.

Rooker ended the game with a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, which was the first of his career. The outfielder/designated hitter now leads MLB with a 1.100 OPS, and is one of the few bright spots on a struggling Athletics team. The 28-year-old is also tied for fourth in the league with 11 home runs.

Alvarez will be the designated hitter against the White Sox on Friday instead of playing left field, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Alvarez is still hitting third, but he'll be kept away from defensive duties in a game that has been delayed due to inclement weather. Corey Julks moves from DH to left field in Alvarez's place.

Brantley has inflammation in his surgically repaired shoulder, and the Astros are shutting him down for an indefinite period, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The veteran outfielder was expected to return to the lineup this week, but Brantley was checked out in Houston on Wednesday after he reported continued soreness in his shoulder. There's no timeline for when he will be able to resume baseball activities, and it's possible the Astros will take the next stage of the 36-year-old's recovery with a lot more caution. Brantley has yet to play in 2023 after undergoing surgery on his shoulder last August.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to Houston on Wednesday.

Ohtani connected on a two-run shot off Astros closer Ryan Pressly in the ninth inning to bring the Angels to within a run, but the team was unable to complete the comeback. The long ball was the first so far in May for the two-way star, though he's otherwise performed well with a .290 average, three doubles and six RBI this month. Ohtani is up to eight homers on the campaign, tied for second on the Angels behind Hunter Renfroe (10).

Turner is making his first start at third base this season for the Red Sox on Wednesday in Atlanta, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Turner has made eight starts at first base in addition to 27 at designated hitter, but this will be his first time at his customary hot corner. Rafael Devers is getting a day off.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that Brantley (shoulder) returned to Houston for further testing after the veteran outfielder/designated hitter experienced renewed soreness while out on his rehab assignment, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The Astros don't seem to think Brantley had a setback with his surgically-repaired right shoulder. Rather, Baker believes Brantley is simply "more sore than usual because he played a lot" during his rehab assignment. A better idea with regard to Brantley's potential return date should come once he gets checked out, but the hope is that he can rejoin the team this weekend. When he's activated could be another matter.