MLB Player News

Alvarez returned to the lineup Friday after sitting two games while the Astros played in a National League city. He went 1-for-4 with a double in a 5-4 loss to the Angels.

Alvarez was held out of the lineup in Colorado as the Astros are not entirely comfortable with his work in the outfield. It should be clear sailing for Alvarez until the end of the month, when Houston travels to St. Louis for an inter-league series July 26 through July 28. Beyond that, there's a two-game set in Milwaukee at the beginning of September.

Brantley went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Angels.

The 32-year-old went yard for the first time since June 19, but he remains on pace for a career-best campaign. Brantley is now slashing .318/.378/.508 with 12 homers, 45 runs and 46 RBI through 83 games, and he's been one of the few healthy constants in the Houston lineup -- a remarkable turnaround for a player who averaged only 95 games a year over his last four seasons in Cleveland.

Martinez went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 8-7 win over the Blue Jays.

Martinez spent 12 games with a batting average below .300 but crossed that threshold with Thursday's three-hit performance. He has hit safely in seven straight contests, including three three-hit efforts, while batting .467 (14-for-30) with five extra-base hits and six RBI.

Jimenez went 1-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in Thursday's loss to the Tigers.

Jimenez's 15th homer of the year was a two-run shot off Matthew Boyd in the sixth inning. He drove in another run on a sacrifice fly in the next frame. The rookie remains hot after a strong June (.284/.340/.602 with eight homers) and has now dragged his OPS up to .777.

Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a homer and a pair of runs in Thursday's victory over the White Sox.

The homer, just Cabrera's fifth of the season, was a solo shot off Juan Minaya in the seventh inning. He'd previously doubled and scored in the sixth. The 36-year-old still has an impressive .303 batting average, but he's shown clear signs of age in the power department.

Alvarez is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rockies, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Astros are finishing up a series in Colorado and Alvarez has not played in the National League park, which serves as a reminder that he lacks the defensive versatility to be reliably deployed whenever the Astros are on the road in an interleague series. He will be back in the mix for this weekend's home series against the Angels.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs in a win over the Twins on Tuesday.

Canha gave the Athletics some key breathing room in the seventh inning with a 422-foot shot to left that extended their lead to two runs, ultimately their final margin of victory. The veteran has picked up steam at the plate over the last six games, a stretch during which he's 6-for-19 with a double, two homers, three RBI, five walks and seven runs across 25 plate appearances.

Choi was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Choi has been solid bat for the Rays this season, slashing .266/.351/.423 with nine homers in 70 games. His absence could mean more starts for Yandy Diaz at first base, potentially opening up the hot corner for Joey Wendle. However, the Rays have several versatile players on their roster, so multiple configurations are possible. One of those options, utility man Michael Brosseau, was recalled Wednesday to take Choi's place on the roster. For the time being, Choi remains without a clear timetable for return.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the White Sox.

Cabrera was scheduled to serve as the Tigers' designated hitter in Tuesday's series opener before the contest was rained out, so he's presumably just receiving rest for the front end of the twin bill. Expect him to return to the lineup for the second contest as the DH.

Soler went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-5 loss to Cleveland.

It's his second homer in three games and 23rd of the season -- an impressive number for a player whose career high was 12 coming into 2019. Soler's .238/.305/.506 slash line does limit his fantasy appeal, but the 27-year-old is finally starting to cash in on the promise he showed as a Cubs prospect.