MLB Player News

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.

Winker went 3-for-3 and scored the game's only run in Thursday's win over the Brewers.

Winker hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning and came around to score the only run the Reds would need in a 1-0 victory. His three hits were one more than the entire Brewers team could manage. Winker's batting average rose nine points to .257 thanks to his big night, though he's well below the .298 and .299 batting averages he recorded in his first two seasons.

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.