Manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Alvarez (hand) could advance to facing live pitching this weekend, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The veteran slugger has been ramping up his hitting progression over the past couple weeks and is now on the cusp of facing live pitching for the first time since suffering a setback with his fractured right hand over a month ago. GM Dana Brown previously said the Astros were targeting mid-August for Alvarez's return, but he'll likely need at least another week or two beyond that since he's been on the shelf since early May.

Rice went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 victory against Minnesota.

The 26-year-old popped his first homer of the month with a 415-foot solo shot off Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the third. Rice, who continues to occupy a strong-side platoon role, is now slashing .235/.326/.463 with 17 home runs, 50 runs scored and 38 RBI in 372 total plate appearances. He picked up his 10th game started as a backstop in Monday's contest and likely now qualifies at catcher in many leagues.

Stanton went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 win over the Twins.

The New York veteran started in right field for the second time this season and launched a 399-foot solo shot off Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews in the third. Stanton has been a reliable bat since returning from elbow injuries June 16, slashing .281/.362/.548 with 31 RBI and 19 runs scored in 152 plate appearances across 41 games; however, he is mired in a part-time role because Aaron Judge (elbow) occupies the designated hitter spot while nursing back to full health.

Yoshida is not in the Red Sox's starting lineup against the Astros on Monday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Yoshida will be available off the bench while Roman Anthony serves as the DH and Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu man the outfield from left to right. Yoshida went 4-for-11 with one double, one home run and four RBI during Boston's three-game weekend series against San Diego.

Keith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The White Sox are having right-hander Elvis Peguero open the game, but since lefty Tyler Alexander is expected to work in bulk relief behind him, the left-handed-hitting Keith will retreat to the bench for the series opener in Chicago. With Keith exiting the starting nine, Kerry Carpenter will serve as the Tigers' designated hitter and Andy Ibanez will start at third base.

Alvarez (hand) took batting practice on the field Saturday at the Astros' spring training complex in Florida, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

After he had previously been limited to hitting in the batting cages while he works his way back from a right hand fracture, Alvarez took a small step forward in the recovery process by facing off against pitching on the field. The Astros will likely want to see Alvarez complete several live BP sessions before clearing him to participate in simulated games or minor-league games, where he'll need to stockpile at-bats to regain his timing at the plate following a lengthy layoff from action. Houston has yet to provide a firm timeline for a return for Alvarez, who has been on the injured list since May 5.

Manzardo went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

The Cleveland slugger posted his third career multi-homer game and second of the season in the series finale at Chicago. Manzardo cracked a 408-foot solo shot off White Sox starter Davis Martin in the fourth before returning in the seventh to slug another solo homer off reliever Jordan Leasure. The 25-year-old has been hot since the All-Star break, batting .368 (21-for-57) with five long balls, 15 RBI and seven runs across 18 contests. Through 368 total plate appearances, Manzardo is slashing .244/.323/.485 with 20 homers, 52 RBI and 34 runs scored.

Stanton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

He was on the bench for three straight games following Aaron Judge's return from the injured list Tuesday, but Stanton rejoined the starting nine in right field Saturday. His seven-inning appearance was his first defensive action since the 2023 season, and right field looks as though it will be his primary path to playing time in the short term while Judge's elbow temporarily limits him to DH duties. According to Max Goodman of NJ.com, manager Aaron Boone said he "flirted" with the idea of handing Stanton a second straight start in the outfield Sunday, but the Yankees will take a more cautious approach with the historically injury-prone slugger.

Gasper will start at catcher and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Royals.

Despite going 0-for-10 at the dish while starting each of the past three games at either first base or designated hitter, Gasper will stick in the lineup Sunday, this time filling in behind the plate while Ryan Jeffers serves as the Twins' DH. Gasper is likely to fade back into a reserve role once Matt Wallner (personal) returns from the paternity list in the next day or two.

Larnach (side) will start in right field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Royals.

Larnach didn't start in any of the last three games while he managed a side injury, but he felt well enough to make a pinch-hit appearance in Saturday's 2-0 loss. He'll step back into the lineup and take over in right field while Matt Wallner (personal) remains on the paternity list.