MLB Player News

Martinez (hamstring) went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 8-7 extra-inning win over the Blue Jays.

Martinez went yard in the eighth inning. He was held out of a couple of games while dealing with the hamstring issue, but he should be good to go as the Dodgers' primary designated hitter again. The long ball was his 25th of the season and his sixth in July. He's added a .263/.314/.574 slash line with 74 RBI, 48 runs scored, one stolen bases, 20 doubles and two triples through 81 contests this season.

Morel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Morel went deep in the second inning against Michael Kopech, one of four home runs in the contest for the Cubs. The 24-year-old continues to display good power, as he now has an .877 OPS and 16 long balls in 58 games. He had 16 home runs all of last year in 113 games during his rookie campaign, so he has a good chance of setting a new career high in 2023.

Martinez (hamstring) is serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter and batting fifth Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

Martinez missed Sunday's series finale versus the Rangers and Monday's series opener versus the Blue Jays due to tightness in his left hamstring, but it has proven to be a minor issue. The veteran slugger boasts an .881 OPS with 24 homers and 73 RBI in 80 games this season for Los Angeles.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday there's a chance Alvarez (oblique) returns to the lineup Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez will be re-evaluated Wednesday and could start against the Rangers if everything goes well. The star slugger has been on the injured list since June 9 and began a rehab assignment Wednesday. He's played three games with Triple-A Sugar Land, going 3-for-9 with two RBI and two walks.

Alvarez (oblique) will not be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game versus the Rangers, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday that it's possible Alvarez would return to action Tuesday or Wednesday, but we can now cross the first day off that list. The slugger has been on the shelf early June due to a right oblique strain. Houston is idle Thursday, leaving Alvarez with potentially four games to play in this week if he returns Wednesday.

Encarnacion-Strand is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Brewers.

Jake Fraley will serve as the Reds' designated hitter and Joey Votto will cover first base versus the Brewers and ace right-hander Corbin Burnes. Encarnacion-Strand went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Monday's loss to Milwaukee and is slashing .269/.296/.385 through his first 27 major-league plate appearances.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored in Monday's 8-4 win over the Padres.

McCutchen's steal was his 10th of the season, his most thefts since 2018. The 36-year-old has hit safely in six of his seven games since the All-Star break, going 6-for-23 (.261) with five walks in that span. He's slashing .268/.384/.415 with 10 home runs, 28 RBI and 43 runs scored over 81 contests. With Carlos Santana and Ji-Man Choi competing for first base, McCutchen doesn't have a hold on an everyday role at designated hitter.

Martinez (hamstring) should be available off the bench to hit Monday against the Blue Jays, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Martinez isn't in the starting nine Monday due to tightness in his left hamstring, but he's expected to return to action Tuesday. Skipper Dave Roberts indicated before the first game of the series that Martinez might also be able to pinch hit if needed. The team will likely have another update on the slugger's status prior to Tuesday's clash.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said that Alvarez (oblique) is still being evaluated and could be activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday or Wednesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Houston general manager Dana Brown previously said late last week that Alvarez was expected to be activated Monday, but the organization has ultimately decided to wait one more day to make a roster move. Alvarez is back with the team in Houston and was spotted working out on the field Monday after he took part in three rehab games last week with Triple-A Sugar Land, going 3-for-9 with two walks and a double. The slugger, who has been sidelined since early June due to a right oblique strain, will have an opportunity to play a maximum of five games this week if the Astros activate him Tuesday.

Winker is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

Winker has now sat out three times in the last five games, with all three of those absences coming against right-handed pitching. The 30-year-old has been a strict platoon player all season, but his underwhelming .557 OPS in 183 plate appearances versus righties looks as though it's beginning to cost him playing time. Since Winker offers little defensive value as a corner outfielder, he could wind up being a roster casualty if he doesn't show dramatic improvement with his hitting. Winker is on an $8.25 million salary for 2023 but is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.