MLB Player News

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's game against the Orioles.

Alvarez was promoted to the big leagues ahead of Sunday's series finale, and he showed nearly right away that he belongs in the majors. He clubbed a two-run blast to center field in the fourth inning to get the Astros on the board, and it was all the run support they'd need in a 4-0 victory. The 21-year-old is expected to hang with the big club for the foreseeable future.

Belt was scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Dodgers with a stomach illness, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

With Belt feeling under the weather, Evan Longoria -- who was scheduled to receive the day off -- will enter the starting nine at third base while Pablo Sandoval moves across the diamond to first base. The ailment doesn't sound like a major concern for Belt, who should be good to go for Tuesday's contest against the Padres following a team off day Monday.

Pederson is dealing with a stiff back and is out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants but will be available off the bench, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson apparently experienced the stiff back in Saturday's 7-2 win, but manager Dave Roberts suggested the outfielder's injury wouldn't be a major concern. Because the Giants are bringing a tough southpaw (Madison Bumgarner) to the hill for the series finale, Pederson likely would have been withheld from the lineup regardless of his health. Pederson should re-enter the lineup Monday against the Angels with right-hander Griffin Canning slated to start for the opposition.

Brantley is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager AJ Hinch will hold Brantley out for the day game after the night game, even though the veteran just picked up a breather Monday in Seattle. Brantley's move to the bench may have been influenced in part by his 0-for-9 showing in the first two games. It was just the second time since April 5 the smooth-swinging outfielder failed to record a hit in back-to-back games.

The Astros officially selected Alvarez's contract from Triple-A Round Rock ahead of Sunday's game against the Orioles. He'll serve as Houston's designated hitter and bat fifth, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The slugger will make his highly anticipated MLB debut in the heart of the Houston lineup after a dazzling two months at Round Rock. Over 56 games in the Pacific Coast League, Alvarez slashed .343/.443/.742 with 23 home runs while striking out in a manageable 19.8 percent of his plate appearances. Barring monumental struggles in his first taste of the big leagues, there's a good chance the 21-year-old sticks in Houston for the long haul, making him a must-roster player in just about every format.

Martinez (back) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Martinez has missed the entire four-game weekend series due to back spasms, which led to his early removal from Thursday's game against the Royals. It's not clear how well Martinez has responded to treatment at this time, but the Red Sox's reluctance to move him to the 10-day injured list at this point suggests he's still viewed as day-to-day. Christian Vazquez will replace Martinez as Boston's designated hitter Sunday.

Choi is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Along with fellow lefty-hitting lineup regulars Kevin Kiermaier and Austin Meadows, Choi will head to the bench with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on the bump for Boston. Choi, who also sat for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, has gone 9-for-16 over his past five contests to lift his season average to .280.

Canha went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 3-1 loss to the Rangers during the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader.

After chipping in a double in the matinee, Canha is now hitting .319 (15-for-47) over his last 15 games with five homers and nine RBI. The veteran utility player has seen action at first base, DH and all three outfield spots this season, and he should continue to draw somewhat consistent playing time thanks to a .248/.380/.571 slash line -- the OBP and SLG both career highs -- that includes 10 home runs in 39 contests.

Turner went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Giants.

The 34-year-old is still nursing a sore hamstring and looked limited on the basepaths -- at least one of the doubles could have been stretched into a triple had Turner been running at 100 percent -- but he still delivered his first extra-base hits since missing three games May 30-June 1 due to the issue. He's now slashing .312/.397/.450 with six homers and 27 RBI through 57 games on the year.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 9-4 loss to the Cubs.

He jumped on a Jon Lester fastball in the first inning for his 17th homer of the year. Ozuna continues to make very loud contact, slashing .351/.359/.622 over his last 10 games with three long balls and nine RBI despite a 1:11 BB:K over that stretch.