MLB Player News

Stanton could be deployed as an outfielder, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

It's hard to say how seriously the team is considering this, but the motive would obviously be to be able to get players like Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge some starts at designated hitter while keeping Stanton's bat in the lineup. This would be a nice boon for Stanton's fantasy managers, as it would give them more roster flexibility if Stanton were to play enough in the outfield to add that eligibility.

Alvarez was placed on the injured list Wednesday with no injury designation, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

He was held out of Wednesday's lineup against the Mariners for what manager Dusty Baker called "health and safety" reasons, so Alvarez presumably was either exposed to someone with COVID-19 or is showing symptoms, although we can't be sure at this juncture. Taylor Jones was recalled in a corresponding move.

Buxton went 5-for-5 with a solo home run, two doubles a stolen base and an additional run scored during Wednesday's 10-2 win at Cleveland.

The 27-year-old matched Cleveland's hit total by himself and has now homered in back-to-back contests. Buxton is playing like one of the best players in baseball to open 2021 with a .438/.471/.938 slash line, eight homers, eight doubles, two stolen bases, 14 RBI and 14 runs through 17 games.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said that Alvarez would be held out of the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners due to health and safety protocols, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Houston hasn't formally placed Alvarez on the COVID-19 injured list, so the 23-year-old may just be absent from the lineup as a precaution rather than as the result of a positive COVID-19 test or due to close contact with an infected person. Alvarez previously spent a week on the COVID-19 IL earlier this month, missing five games as a result. Baker said that Michael Brantley would handle designated-hitter duties Wednesday with Alvarez out.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in a victory over Baltimore on Tuesday.

Stanton accounted for the final run of the contest with a 434-foot shot to center field in the seventh inning. The blast was his sixth this season and upped his RBI total to 15. The slugger leads MLB with a 98.3 mph average exit velocity, though he is batting only .205 thus far.

Solak went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs, two RBI and a strikeout as Texas beat Los Angeles 6-1 on Tuesday.

Solak bookended the game's scoring with a solo home runs in the first and seventh innings and scored an additional run on Joey Gallo's home run in the third. After hitting only two home runs in 58 games last season, Solak already has seven in 24 games this year.

Reyes went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs during Tuesday's 7-4 win over Minnesota.

The 25-year-old powered the offense with three of the team's nine hits, but he had limited RBI opportunities, as he didn't have any any at-bats with runners in scoring position. Reyes has a .308/.337/.679 slash line with seven home runs, four doubles, 17 RBI and 13 runs in 78 plate appearances this season.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Cabrera got the scoring started with a solo home run off of Lucas Giolito in the first inning, giving the veteran two long balls this season. The former superstar is still batting just .171 and recently missed some time due to a biceps strain, but he should still play most days for the Tigers as long as he stays healthy -- which is no guarantee at this point in his career.

Buxton (kneecap) went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Cleveland.

The 27-year-old missed Monday's contest while dealing with patellar tendinitis, but he played like himself Tuesday, going deep for the seventh time this season. In addition to the home runs, Buxton has a .390/.429/.847 slash line with six doubles, 13 RBI, and 12 runs through 16 games in 2021.

Ohtani (blister) is starting at designated hitter and batting second Tuesday against the Rangers.

He exited Monday's start with a minor blister but reportedly was already petitioning to be in the lineup the next day, and he will get his wish. The two-way legend has totaled seven home runs, 17 runs, 18 RBI and three steals while batting .300 over 85 plate appearances.