MLB Player News

Solak went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rockies.

The 25-year-old was apparently the only one who got the memo that this game was being played in Coors Field -- the two teams combined for only eight hits, and every one not off Solak's bat was a single. Wherever he's been playing, though, he's been red hot. In his last five games Solak is 11-for-22 with four doubles, Friday's homer (his first of 2020), four RBI, six runs and a stolen base.

Winker went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Friday's 8-1 win over the Pirates.

There may not be hotter hitter in the league than Winker. The 26-year-old has seven multi-hit games over his last 10 games, and has hit five long balls over his last five contests. With so many options in the outfield, Winker probably knew going into the season that there weren't going to be many opportunities for him to get consistent playing time, but as long as he stays hot with his bat, the Buffalo native should have the DH spot locked down and will continue to see some time in the field on occasion.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a homer, four RBI and a hit by pitch in Friday's 11-1 win over the Mariners.

Alvarez launched a three-run homer as part of the Astros' nine-run first inning. The designated hitter picked up his fourth RBI of the night when he was hit by a pitch from Mariners reliever Yohan Ramirez in the fifth. In 87 games last season, Alvarez hit .313 with 27 homers, 78 RBI and 58 runs scored. His bat is a big addition to the heart of the Astros' order.

Alvarez revealed Friday that his undisclosed absence for the entirety of summer camp was due to a positive COVID-19 test, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros weren't legally allowed to reveal the reason for Alvarez's absence due to privacy concerns, though that lack of information was a very common pattern regarding players who had tested positive, so the news is hardly a surprise. The young slugger didn't experience symptoms worse than headaches, but he still had to spend three weeks building up at the team's alternate training site once he was cleared for baseball activity. He should be close to the everyday designated hitter for Houston moving forward.

Vogelbach isn't in the lineup Friday against the Astros.

Vogelbach smacked a two-run home run Wednesday, but he'll take a seat for the series opener against Houston. Tim Lopes will take over as the designated hitter and bat sixth.

Colon was designated for assignment by the Reds on Friday.

Colon appeared in 11 games and had a .341 OPS this season, so the Reds opted to remove him from the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old could return to the team's alternate training site if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Pederson will sit against lefty Patrick Sandoval and the Angels on Friday.

Pederson has started just once against a lefty this season. A.J. Pollock will start in left field in his absence.

Brantley is not in the lineup for Friday's game against Seattle, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The return of Yordan Alvarez (undisclosed) will have an effect on Brantley's playing time, as he'd been the Astros' primary designated hitter, filling the role in 10 of the season's first 18 games. He'll likely still see playing time in left field, though he'll have to compete with Kyle Tucker, who starts there Friday.

Alvarez will bat fifth as the designated hitter in his season debut Friday against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was out for the entirety of camp for undisclosed reasons but spent the last three weeks ramping up at the Astros' secondary site. He should serve as the team's everyday designated hitter going forward, though it's possible he gets a few extra off days early on to ease him back into game action.

Canha is likely to shift over to center field during Ramon Laureano's four-game suspension, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Canha is a versatile veteran with 139 games of major-league experience in center, so he's a natural candidate to fill in. The 31-year-old is hitting a pedestrian .242 over his first 78 plate appearances, but he's also sporting an impressive .385 on-base percentage thanks to an elevated 14.1 percent walk rate.