MLB Player News

Ford went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a loss to the Angels on Sunday.

Ford left the yard for the second time in the series and this season with a 412-foot shot to right in the fifth inning. The 30-year-old has made six appearances at designated hitter since his June 2 season debut, but his Achilles heel since 2021 -- making consistent contact -- continues to plague him, as evidenced by his 31.6 percent strikeout rate over his first 19 plate appearances.

Rooker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Brewers on Sunday.

Rooker went back to back with Seth Brown in leaving the park, uncorking a 413-foot shot to left in the fourth inning that extended the Athletics' lead to 4-2 at the time. The round tripper represented an extension of a solid stretch at the plate for Rooker, who's gone 6-for-19 with a double, two homers overall, five RBI, a walk and five runs across his last five games.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Pirates.

The hit was one of only three for the Mets on the afternoon, while the steal was Canha's fourth in 57 games -- exceeding his total of three from last season in 140 games. The 34-year-old has picked up the pace at the plate, slashing .302/.423/.488 over his last 15 games with two homers, two steals, six runs and nine RBI, and in the absence of Pete Alonso (wrist) he figures to split time at first base with Mark Vientos while also seeing action in the outfield corners.

Soler went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs and one double in Sunday's win over the White Sox.

Soler blasted his 18th and 19th long balls of the season Sunday to log his second consecutive game with three hits. The multi-homer effort was Soler's third of the season and bumped him up to second place in MLB in home runs, trailing only Pete Alonso. Although both of Soler's homers came against right-handed pitchers, he has dominated lefties in 2023, slashing .333/.438/.889 with a massive .556 ISO.

Pederson went 4-for-4 with two home runs, two additional runs, four RBI and a walk in Sunday's 13-3 win over the Cubs.

Pederson had a massive day at the dish, reaching base five times and knocking a pair of two-run shots. He had two four-hit games during the weekend series against the Cubs, raising his average from .228 to .282 in the process. Pederson went deep for the first time since May 12 and now has seven long balls with 24 RBI and a .934 OPS through 123 plate appearances.

Ramirez went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and one RBI in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Rangers.

Ramirez has logged three multi-hit efforts, three steals and seven RBI through seven contests in June. The 28-year-old is a lock to be in the lineup versus southpaws, but he's also served as the designated hitter versus three of the last six right-handers the Rays have faced. Ramirez has earned the added playing time with a .306/.351/.517 slash line overall, which includes a solid .269/.327/.440 line against righties. He's added nine home runs, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored and a career-high four steals over 194 plate appearances.

Belt (hamstring) underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed inflammation, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Belt sat out Sunday against the Twins after exiting Saturday's loss with left hamstring tightness, but the issue doesn't appear to be a significant concern. Manager John Schneider said after Sunday's matchup that Belt remains day-to-day for now. He'll have at least one day to rest before Tuesday's series opener in Baltimore.

Harper went 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 victory over the Dodgers.

Harper reached safely in all four plate appearances Sunday and has 22 walks through his first 34 games. The veteran's 2023 campaign was delayed while working his way back from Tommy John surgery that cost him the end of 2022, but he's been sharp since making his season debut, slashing .287/.382/.434 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 23 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Stanton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Josh Donaldson will handle designated hitter duties in the series finale while Stanton takes a seat in what appears to be little more than a maintenance day. Since being reinstated from the 10-day injured list June 1, Stanton has gone 3-for-20 (.150 average) with a solo home run in his first six games back with the Yankees.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that a timeline for Alvarez's (oblique) return from the 10-day injured list is "still up in the air a little bit," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. "It will take a week at least to get a feel for how long it's going to be," Brown said, referring to the length of Alvarez's absence.

Oblique injuries are notorious for carrying volatile recovery timelines, so it's no surprise that Brown already seems to be discounting the possibility of Alvarez returning from the IL when first eligible June 19. On a positive note, Alvarez's injury has been described as right oblique discomfort rather than a strain, though it's possible that his diagnosis could change if he's sent in for further tests in the coming days. While Alvarez is out, the red-hot Mauricio Dubon could gain traction in an everyday role in left field, which would leave Corey Julks and Chas McCormick to jockey for playing time at designated hitter.