MLB Player News

Benintendi went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run Friday against the Dodgers.

Benintendi got the scoring started for the White Sox with a home run in the first inning, his seventh of the season. Four of those long balls have come in his last 10 starts, during which he's hit .257 with eight RBI and nine runs scored. That stretch has also coincided with Munetaka Murakami's (hamstring) absence, with Benintendi rising up the White Sox's lineup to primarily hit third.

Alvarez went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six total RBI in Friday's win over the Royals.

Alvarez slugged both homers as part of the Astros' nine-run first inning. He launched a two-run shot off Luinder Avila and later belted a grand slam off Mason Black. Alvarez is up to 24 homers on the season, and he snapped a four-game home-run drought with this impressive performance. Alvarez also owns a blistering 1.092 OPS in 70 games and 305 plate appearances this season.

Pederson went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's 10-1 loss to the Red Sox.

Pederson returned to the lineup after missing one game with a hip issue. He singled and scored the Rangers' lone run in the first inning. Pederson is an unconventional choice to bat leadoff, but he's rediscovered his bat since being moved there. He's slashing .289/.379/.632 with six home runs and 15 RBI across 23 games atop the order.

Canzone went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 10-2 rout of the Nationals.

The 28-year-old got the nod at DH and launched his first career triple in the second inning before connecting on his 10th homer of the season in the eighth with a solo shot off Paxton Schultz. Canzone has six multi-hit performances in the last 13 games, a stretch in which he's slashing a blistering .436/.463/.949 with nine of his 17 hits going for extra bases, including five home runs.

Springer went 1-for-2 with three walks, a two-run homer and three total runs scored in Friday's 8-5 win over the Yankees.

Springer ended a 14-game homer drought with his second-inning long ball and walked in his three subsequent plate appearances. The 36-year-old went 3-for-22 through the first six games of June, but he's been more productive during his past two contests, going 2-for-5 with five walks, a homer, two RBI and four runs. Despite his .208/.303/.361 slash line through 208 plate appearances this year, Springer has continued to operate as Toronto's primary leadoff man.

Fulford went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Athletics.

Fulford continues to fill a short-side platoon role at designated hitter while adding some extra depth at catcher. His playing time is limited even when he starts, as he's often lifted for a pinch hitter once a right-hander takes the mound for the opposition. Fulford is batting .222 with a .660 OPS, three steals, one home run, four RBI and seven runs scored over 31 plate appearances this season.

Eldridge went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Cubs.

Eldridge had all but one of the Giants' hits in the contest. His ninth-inning homer kept them from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive for the home team to take from this game. That's now three straight games with a homer and four straight with an extra-base hit for Eldridge. He is batting .425 (17-for-40) in June, and that's after he ended May with a four-hit game. Overall, he's hitting .316 with a .959 OPS, five homers, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored and nine doubles across 29 contests, with his recent surge making it tough to see him coming out of the lineup for anything other than rest any time soon.

Soler (oblique) ran on the field and did some light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.

Soler has been sidelined since early June, as he was placed on the 10-day IL due to a left oblique strain June 6 (retroactive to June 4). He's just about eligible to return, but given where he's at in his recovery, it's almost certain the veteran outfielder will need more than a minimum-length IL stay. The Angels have been switching up DH duties among several players, including Mike Trout, during Soler's absence.

Imaging on Ohtani's left knee revealed Friday that he isn't dealing with any structural damage, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani will be held out of Friday's contest against the White Sox, but manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the two-way star isn't dealing with anything more than inflammation in his left knee. He's expected to resume duties as the Dodgers' designated hitter sometime this weekend and remains on track to make his next start on the mound Wednesday.

The Athletics placed Rooker on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Tuesday, due to a bone bruise in his left knee.

Rooker was out of the Athletics' lineup both Tuesday and Wednesday against the Brewers while tending to a left knee issue. The injury is severe enough for him to warrant a stint on the IL, though it's unclear whether he's facing a stint longer than the minimum. With Rooker sidelined, Shea Langeliers, Jonah Heim and Carlos Cortes are all candidates to see more reps as the team's designated hitter. Jacob Wilson (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move.