MLB Player News

Alvarez hasn't played in a game for Double-A Corpus Christi since last weekend after getting struck in the hand by a pitch. He's expected to be out for a week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez is hitting .299/.374/.542 with six home runs and 26 RBI through 27 games this season. This is the 20-year-old's first taste of Double-A ball, and though he was strictly a first-base propspect heading into the year, he's spent a majority of his time with the Hooks in left field, learning a new position. Expect to see him back in action soon.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of RBI in Thursday's win against the Twins.

Ohtani's homer, his fifth of the season, was a seventh-inning solo shot off Trevor Hildenberger that stretched the Angels' lead to three. He also had a third-inning RBI double, his fourth double of the season. The two-way phenom has perhaps impressed more with the bat than the arm so far this season, hitting .354/.400/.677 in 70 plate appearances. Among players who have hit that plate appearance threshold, Ohtani's slugging percentage ranks fourth, as does his 189 wRC+. His .400 BABIP suggests that his numbers are due to come down a bit, but with the 13th-highest exit velocity in the league and above-average speed, he fits the profile of the sort of player who could run a relatively high BABIP.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's loss to the Orioles.

Soler's 2018 resurgence with another quality outing Thursday. He's hitting .333 in 45 at-bats as the No. 2 hitter in the Royals' order and his .328 season average ranks ninth in the American League. He and the Royals will continue their road trip Friday in Cleveland.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI Thursday against the Yankees.

Martinez blasted the game-winning home run off Dellin Betances in the eighth inning, his ninth home run of the season. His power is slowly picking up as he now has four home runs in his past eight games while also adding two doubles in the span. He is also riding an 11 game-hitting streak which has him hitting .348/.395/.623 through 138 at-bats this season.

Buxton (toe) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Thursday and is in the starting lineup against the Angels.

The 24-year-old originally landed on the disabled list back on April 18 with migraines, but suffered a hairline fracture in his toe while on a minor-league rehab assignment which ultimately extended his absence. Buxton was able to do a range of running drills earlier in the week with no issues, so the Twins opted to activate him without sending him back out on another rehab assignment. He'll immediately reclaim his role as the team's primary center fielder. Buxton, who was hitting just .195/.233/.244 before landing on the shelf, will face right-hander Garrett Richards in his first game back.

Jimenez appears to be on track for a promotion to Triple-A before the All-Star break, Adam Hoge of WGN Radio reports. "Traditionally you tend not to do too many promotions before the halfway mark," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Certainly the way Eloy has performed thus far, might require an adjustment here in the coming weeks."

The White Sox weren't going to skip Jimenez over Triple-A, so he needs to get that promotion before he can be on the verge of a promotion to the majors. The slugging phenom is hitting .409 with four home runs over his last 10 games -- a hot streak that has prompted this conversation. On the season, he is hitting .333/.357/.679 with seven home runs and a 13:4 K:BB in 78 at-bats with Double-A Birmingham. Assuming Jimenez stays healthy, he will undoubtedly be deserving of a big-league promotion sometime this summer, but it will come down to whether the White Sox are willing to sacrifice an extra year of control or if they are intent on maximizing his at-bats in a White Sox uniform by holding him down until April 2019.

Ohtani will make his next start Sunday against the Twins, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

While he managed a mild ankle sprain, Ohtani went 11 days between starts before taking the mound last Sunday in Seattle, tossing six innings of two-run ball in a win over the Mariners. After escaping that outing without any health concerns, Ohtani will resume pitching on his normal six days' rest schedule, as expected. Expect the Angels to use Ohtani as their designated hitter Thursday and Friday against the Twins before holding him out of the lineup Saturday in advance of the pitching start.

Soler was 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, three RBI and a walk in the Royals' 15-7 win over the Orioles on Tuesday.

Soler started the scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning as the Royals scored 10 in the frame. The 26-year-old may have broken his 10-game hitting streak Saturday, but is 5-for-7 over the last two games. Overall, Soler has an impressive .324/.436/.546 slash line and features a walk rate over 15 percent.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs, a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Red Sox.

The blasts were numbers eight and nine of the season for Stanton, and it was also his third two-homer game of the year. The 28-year-old continues to be all-or-nothing at the plate with 10 strikeouts in 22 at-bats since the start of May to go along with his season strikeout rate of 34.4 percent.

Canha is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Astros.

Canha will head to the bench for what appears to be a regular day off after starting seven straight games. The 29-year-old has done well filling in for Boog Powell (knee) in center field, slashing .278/.321/.519 through 22 games. Chad Pinder will start in center field in his stead Tuesday, hitting seventh.