MLB Player News

Brantley (leg) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley will sit for the second game in a row due to the leg injury, though manager Dusty Baker said the veteran isn't a candidate to land on the injured list as a result of the issue, according to Rome. Aledmys Diaz will pick up a start in left field in place of Brantley, who will get another day of rest Thursday with a team off day before the Astros return to action Friday against the Padres in Houston.

Alvarez was scratched from Wednesday's lineup versus the Dodgers with right wrist soreness, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 23-year-old was penciled in to bat cleanup as the designated hitter, but he'll instead hit the bench due to the wrist issue. Alvarez is 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts over his past four contests, so the injury could help explain some of his struggles at the plate. He'll have Wednesday plus Thursday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery before potentially missing any additional games.

Stanton (quadriceps) is expected to be activated from the injured list Friday, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The injury has sidelined Stanton since May 13, at which point he was in a 3-for-22 slump with no home runs in that six-game span. Even so, the slugger will slot in near the top of New York's lineup and figures to re-establish himself as a premier power-hitting threat.

Choi is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The lefty-hitting Choi will retreat to the bench with a southpaw (Mike Minor) on the bump for Kansas City. Yandy Diaz will get the start at first base for the Rays, while Austin Meadows serves as the club's designated hitter.

Buxton (hip) is still having trouble decelerating and is unlikely to begin a rehab assignment immediately, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton has been swinging in the cage to begin the week, and there was hope that he could begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week. However, the center fielder will need some more time to recover since he's still not able to run without issues. Rob Refsnyder should continue to see increased work in center field while Buxton is unavailable.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a pair of walks in Tuesday's victory over Texas.

The two-way star crushed a three-run shot in the fourth inning, smoking a ball that left his bat at 117 mph. Per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, the blast was the hardest-hit homer of his career. Ohtani is tied for second in all of baseball with 15 long balls on the season and has added 38 RBI, six stolen bases and a .269/.326/.632 slash line.

Ohtani will take the mound Thursday against the Athletics, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Angels previously indicated the 26-year-old lined up to pitch Friday, but he'll instead start a day earlier in the series opener. The right-hander showed some decreased velocity in his previous start last Wednesday, but it's apparently not a concern. Ohtani is batting second as the designated hitter for Tuesday's matchup with the Rangers.

Stanton (quadriceps) will run and hit Tuesday but won't be activated off the injured list, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Previous reports indicated Stanton could return from the injured list when first eligible Tuesday, but he's at least a day or two behind that schedule. He doesn't seem to have suffered a setback, however, so it shouldn't be long before he's back in the lineup.

Brantley will sit Tuesday against the Dodgers due to general leg soreness, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley's 34-year-old legs are banged up following the Astros' weekend series on the turf at Globe Life Field. He'll get to avoid a tough lefty in Clayton Kershaw but should return to the lineup Wednesday. Chas McCormick starts in left field in his absence.

Choi (knee) will lead off and serve as the designated hitter Tuesday against the Royals, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi left Monday's game against the Blue Jays with a sore right knee, an issue which could have been a worrisome one given that he had surgery on the same knee in late March. The Rays said after the game that he wasn't expected to miss time, however, and that's indeed the case, as he's back in the lineup without missing a single start.