MLB Player News

Buxton went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored in Friday's 11-6 loss to Kansas City.

Buxton doubled and scored in both the fourth and sixth innings Friday. Over the last 10 games, the 27-year-old outfielder has gone 15-for-35 (.429) with nine extra-base hits and 13 runs scored. He boosted his season slash line to .305/.359/.637 with 47 runs scored and 39 extra-base hits through 245 plate appearances.

Reyes will sit Friday against Texas.

Reyes finds himself on the bench for the second straight game. Harold Ramirez will make another start as the designated hitter.

Brantley will sit Friday against Oakland, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley hasn't taken the field since Sept. 11 after injuring his knee, but he's played the last two games as a designated hitter. He'll get a full day off Friday, with Chas McCormick starting in that spot. Per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Brantley will test his knee Friday and could play in the outfielder over the weekend.

Buxton went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs, a double, and an additional run scored in Thursday's loss against Detroit.

Buxton extended his hitting streak to four games, and he has recorded at least one knock in 11 of his last 12 contests. The star outfielder has four homers during that span, and he's ending the season on a strong note, hitting .263 with a .912 OPS across 26 games (107 plate appearances) in September.

Brantley started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Rays.

Brantley made his second consecutive start at DH after being reinstated from the injury list. The outfielder is dealing with a sore knee and is limited to DH duties for now. Thursday's win clinched the division for the Astros, so regulars may be given rest over the final three-game series against Oakland, but that may not be the case for Brantley. He missed more than two weeks while on the IL and could use the at-bats to get his timing down ahead of the postseason.

Ramirez is not in Thursday's lineup versus the Royals.

The 27-year-old takes a seat after starting the last two contests, going 2-for-8 in those games. Since Sept. 14, Ramirez has notched four multi-hit efforts over 10 games, batting .313 with five RBI. He will be replaced in left field by Oscar Mercado, who will bat ninth.

Cabrera isn't starting Thursday's game against the Twins.

Cabrera had started each of the last six games and hit .333 with two doubles, four RBI and a run. Jeimer Candelario will serve as the designated hitter while Harold Castro enters the lineup at second base.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and a run Wednesday in the Angels' 7-2 win over the Rangers.

Ohtani made his last start of the season as a pitcher Sunday, but he's still expected to bring plenty of value to fantasy managers over the final week of campaign as a designated hitter. Though he's endured a power drought of late with only two home runs in September, Ohtani has reached base at a prolific .406 clip this month while driving in 22, scoring 12 runs and stealing four bags.

Brantley served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 7-0 loss to the Rays.

Brantley was reinstated off the injured list Wednesday after missing two-plus weeks due to a knee injury. The progress he made while rehabbing slowed, but Brantley is available to DH for now. His return should give a boost to Houston, which has lost five of its last six while scoring just 12 runs in the process.

Choi went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a 7-0 win over the Astros on Wednesday.

The first baseman broke the game open in the fifth inning, launching a three-run shot to right field to extend the Rays' lead from 3-0 to 6-0. Choi entered the game having gone 1-for-22 over his previous eight contests, so he'll look to use the big blast as momentum to turn things around as the regular season winds down. The 30-year-old has struggled through an injury-plagued campaign during which he is batting only .230 with 11 homers and 45 RBI through 80 games.