MLB Player News

Reyes is not starting Saturday against the Dodgers.

Reyes had started 11 straight games, a stretch in which he'd hit .273/.319/.614 with five homers. Josh Naylor will get the nod in right field.

Brantley is out of the lineup against the Angels on Saturday.

Brantley will sit with lefty Andrew Heaney on the mound for the Angels. He sat against the last lefty the Astros faced as well but hasn't generally been platooned this season, so he likely won't be stuck on the bench for two straight games even with another lefty (Jose Suarez) scheduled to start Sunday. Josh Reddick will start in left field in his absence.

Ford was optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com reports.

Ford was recalled to the majors Tuesday but had a short-lived stint with the team, as he is being demoted in favor of pitching depth for the remainder of the team's weekend series against the Rays. He drew a start at first base Thursday, going 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Martinez is not in the lineup against the Tigers on Saturday.

Martinez has started every game since June 9, so this appears to be a routine day off for him. He is currently hitting .300/.372/.537 across 353 plate appearances. Christian Vazquez will be the designated hitter and bat third in his place.

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.

Ozuna (fingers) is continuing his rehabilitation in St. Louis and experienced improvement this week, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Manager Mike Shildt delivered the encouraging news about Ozuna, although in the same breath, he conceded that the team won't have a firmer timeline on his recovery until after the upcoming All-Star break. Shildt had previously emphasized that Ozuna will need to have full strength back in his injured middle and ring fingers before activation, considering how critical they are to the slugger being able to grip a bat properly.

Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Cardinals.

He's up to four homers and 14 RBI in 14 games with the Giants after batting just .158 over 12 games with the Padres earlier in the year. Dickerson will primarily start against right-handers going forward, but he's making the most of his limited at-bats with a season line of .295/.348/.590 in 26 games overall.

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.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

With lefty Eric Lauer due up for San Diego, Pederson will head to the bench, as he has done against nearly every southpaw the Dodgers have faced this season (two starts vs. LHP). He's done enough damage against right-handed pitching to be a top-40 fantasy outfielder to date, and he recently gained first-base eligibility in leagues with a 10-game requirement in-season. Look for Pederson to continue playing mostly at first base to begin the second half.

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.