Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Springer has cleared concussion protocol and will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Springer has taken longer than expected to clear the protocol, but he's finally ready for game action after landing on the 7-day concussion injured list Aug. 1. He could be activated as soon as Friday after serving as Buffalo's designated hitter Thursday, although Schneider left open the possibility that Springer might need an additional rehab game so he can play the outfield. Either way, the 35-year-old should be back on the Blue Jays' active roster at some point this weekend versus the Rangers.

Manzardo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Marlins.

Manzardo maintained his second half groove by belting the second of back-to-back home runs in the first inning. It was his 21st of the season, third in the last two games and sixth in 19 contests since the All-Star break.

Keith went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 9-6 loss to the White Sox.

Keith waited for the ninth inning to truly chip in Tuesday, but he made his mark with his 10th home run of the season. The 23-year-old has been good lately with a .433 batting average and two home runs across his last 10 games. Keith is seeing regular time as Detroit's leadoff hitter against righties, which gives his fantasy value a boost due to the strong lineup around him.

Stanton went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Tuesday's 9-1 win over the Twins.

The four hits established a season high for the 35-year-old veteran slugger, who matched a season high in RBI while launching his 12th homer of the year. Stanton has now played right field in four games, and his move back to the outfield should bode well for his chances of seeing more playing time down the stretch. He's slashing a potent .320/.391/.699 with each of his 12 long balls, three doubles and 31 RBI over 115 plate appearances since the start of July.

Manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Alvarez (hand) could advance to facing live pitching this weekend, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The veteran slugger has been ramping up his hitting progression over the past couple weeks and is now on the cusp of facing live pitching for the first time since suffering a setback with his fractured right hand over a month ago. GM Dana Brown previously said the Astros were targeting mid-August for Alvarez's return, but he'll likely need at least another week or two beyond that since he's been on the shelf since early May.

Rice went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 victory against Minnesota.

The 26-year-old popped his first homer of the month with a 415-foot solo shot off Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the third. Rice, who continues to occupy a strong-side platoon role, is now slashing .235/.326/.463 with 17 home runs, 50 runs scored and 38 RBI in 372 total plate appearances. He picked up his 10th game started as a backstop in Monday's contest and likely now qualifies at catcher in many leagues.

Stanton went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 win over the Twins.

The New York veteran started in right field for the second time this season and launched a 399-foot solo shot off Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews in the third. Stanton has been a reliable bat since returning from elbow injuries June 16, slashing .281/.362/.548 with 31 RBI and 19 runs scored in 152 plate appearances across 41 games; however, he is mired in a part-time role because Aaron Judge (elbow) occupies the designated hitter spot while nursing back to full health.

Yoshida is not in the Red Sox's starting lineup against the Astros on Monday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Yoshida will be available off the bench while Roman Anthony serves as the DH and Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu man the outfield from left to right. Yoshida went 4-for-11 with one double, one home run and four RBI during Boston's three-game weekend series against San Diego.

Keith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The White Sox are having right-hander Elvis Peguero open the game, but since lefty Tyler Alexander is expected to work in bulk relief behind him, the left-handed-hitting Keith will retreat to the bench for the series opener in Chicago. With Keith exiting the starting nine, Kerry Carpenter will serve as the Tigers' designated hitter and Andy Ibanez will start at third base.

Alvarez (hand) took batting practice on the field Saturday at the Astros' spring training complex in Florida, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

After he had previously been limited to hitting in the batting cages while he works his way back from a right hand fracture, Alvarez took a small step forward in the recovery process by facing off against pitching on the field. The Astros will likely want to see Alvarez complete several live BP sessions before clearing him to participate in simulated games or minor-league games, where he'll need to stockpile at-bats to regain his timing at the plate following a lengthy layoff from action. Houston has yet to provide a firm timeline for a return for Alvarez, who has been on the injured list since May 5.