MLB Player News

Though Martinez (back) was on the bench for a fourth straight game in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Rays, manager Alex Cora said the slugger's condition is improving, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "He's feeling better but he's not ready to play," Cora said. "So stay away from him. And hopefully [Monday versus the Rangers] or during the week [he'll play]."

While Cora's comments suggest the Red Sox sincerely view Martinez as day-to-day, the team may be motivated to take a cautious approach with his recovery. Martinez has dealt with back spasms on two other occasions this season and missed a little time due to the same issue in 2018, so clearing him to return before he's 100 percent healthy could increase the risk of him experiencing a longer-term setback. The Red Sox will likely reassess his condition early Monday before deciding if he's fit to play in the series opener.

Soler went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the White Sox.

The 27-year-old went deep against White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez and later scored a run in the ninth. Soler is up to 17 homers and 44 RBI in 2019 as he finally seems to be tapping into the power he was expected to have when he was a prospect.

Jimenez went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, a double and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over Kansas City.

The star rookie outfielder is up to eight homers this season with five coming since his return from the injured list May 20. Jimenez still has just 17 RBI and a .713 OPS and hasn't quite broken out the way many fantasy owners had expected.

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.