MLB Player News

Morel went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in a 3-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader.

Morel has picked up four of his five stolen bases in his last four games, showing no hesitation to run. He was only 3-for-6 in stolen base attempts with Double-A Tennessee before joining the major-league roster. The versatile 22-year-old has earned regular playing time by hitting .286/.386/.469 with two home runs, five RBI and eight runs scored through 13 contests.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Monday's 5-1 win over the Athletics.

Alvarez took Paul Blackburn deep in the first inning to give the Astros an early 1-0 lead before later launching another solo shot in the eighth frame off A.J. Puk. He now has 14 homers on the season and the two long balls ended a 10-game homerless streak for the slugger. Alvarez has notched three multi-hit games over his last four contests, raising his batting average from .246 to .260 over that stretch.

Morel is starting at second base and batting first in the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Brewers.

Morel led off the first game as well, giving him six straight starts atop the order, and he went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. The rookie has gotten off to a nice start, batting .289 with an .885 OPS through his first 12 games in the majors, so the Cubs are rewarding him with regular playing time. As long as he's leading off games and hitting the ball consistently, Morel should be a fairly productive fantasy asset, particularly if he keeps racking up stolen bases. The 23-year-old has four steals in six attempts so far.

Belt (knee) hit in a batting cage Monday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt hasn't played in 12 days due to right knee inflammation. He's already eligible to return from the injured list, but his return isn't imminent. He remains in San Francisco to continue his recovery while his teammates are away on a 10-game road trip. It's unclear if he'll need a rehab assignment before returning to the active roster.

Miller (hip) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Miller was removed from Sunday's game against Oakland due to right hip tightness, and the issue is apparently significant enough to prompt a trip to the injured list. Eli White should see additional playing time in Miller's absence, while the Rangers selected Josh Smith's contract as part of a corresponding move.

Buxton is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game versus the Tigers, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Buxton will get a breather after starting two straight games, going 2-for-8 with a double and a run scored. Nick Gordon is starting in center field and batting eighth in the contest.

McCutchen will get a breather in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Cubs.

The 35-year-old will be on the bench for the first time since returning from the COVID-19 injured list May 20, batting .231 with a homer, three RBI and four runs over nine contests. Keston Hiura is starting at designated hitter and will bat seventh in the first game Monday.

Cabrera (back) is not starting in Monday's contest versus the Twins, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Still dealing with a back injury, Cabrera will miss his second consecutive game. Harold Castro is starting at designated hitter and batting leadoff in Monday's matchup.

Choi went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored Sunday against the Yankees.

Choi led off the second inning by slugging his fourth home run of the season. He's struggled since returning from an elbow injury May 8 by hitting just .185, though he does have two long balls in his last five starts. Overall, Choi has maintained a .260/.374/.458 line across 115 plate appearances on the campaign.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two walks Sunday against the Nationals.

Blackmon took Josiah Gray yard to lead off the game and record his seventh home run of the season. He later grounded into a fielder's choice to tally his second RBI of the campaign. Blackmon reached base multiple times in three of Colorado's four games against Washington, and he also drove in five and scored three runs during the series. Overall, Blackmon is hitting .241/.309/.426 across 182 plate appearances.