MLB Player News

Belt went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs, three RBI and three runs scored Saturday against the Brewers.

Belt went yard off of Brandon Woodruff in the fourth inning and Sal Romano in the 11th, the latter a two-run shot that gave the Giants an 8-5 cushion. The 33-year-old Belt has been scorching the ball since returning from the injured list, going 4-for-12 with three homers, five RBI and a pair of walks in three games. He's now hitting .258/.367/.549 with 13 homers and 33 RBI in 215 plate appearances this season.

Soler went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Saturday's loss to the Nationals.

The veteran gave Atlanta an early lead with a 424-foot solo shot to center field in the first inning. He got aboard three more times in the contest and has now reached base safely in each of his seven games since joining the Braves on July 31. Over that stretch, Soler is batting .360 (9-for-25) with three homers, six RBI and five walks.

Winker went 3-for-5 with a home run and six RBI on Saturday against the Pirates.

Winker got the Reds on the board with an RBI double in the third inning, drove in two more runs with a single in the sixth, then capped off his performance with a three-run homer in the eighth. His day actually could have been more prolific had he not flied out with the bases loaded in the fourth. Winker is off to a scorching start to August, hitting .421 (8-for-19) with six extra-base hits in six games. For the season, he's slashing .307/.390/.57 with 23 homers and 67 RBI.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Twins.

Alvarez slammed a solo home run off Michael Pineda in the fourth inning to give the Astros a two-run lead. He was the only player to hit a homer in the game. The 24-year-old has homered three times in his last five games. On the season, he is slashing .284/.348/.525 with 22 long balls, 65 runs and a team-leading 73 RBI in 396 plate appearances.

Ohtani will be available off the bench for Saturday's game against the Dodgers.

Ohtani pinch hit in the 10th inning Friday, only to be intentionally walked. It's unclear if the two-way star will be in the starting nine Sunday, or if he'll just get some additional rest before the Angels return home to face Toronto.

Choi will sit Saturday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi's days off typically come against lefties, but he'll sit Saturday even with the Rays facing a righty in Spenser Watkins. Yandy Diaz will start at first base, with Joey Wendle starting at third.

Lewis (knee) has continued to participate in baseball activities but remains without a return timetable, the Associated Press reports.

The Mariners are unsurprisingly being cautious with their talented outfielder, but the encouraging aspect of his recovery is he's apparently remained free of setbacks for the last several weeks. Lewis is very likely to need a fairly robust rehab assignment given the length of his absence.

Martinez was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Saturday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Martinez wasn't feeling well Friday night or Saturday morning, so he'll be away from the team as a precautionary measure. He'll miss extended time if he tests positive for the virus, but the 33-year-old will be eligible to return as soon as he clears the league's health and safety protocols if he tests negative.

Martinez went 1-for-4 in Friday's 12-4 loss to Toronto.

Martinez had a seventh-inning single, a couple of frames after it was needed. The slugger left the bases loaded with an inning-ending pop out in the fifth. At the time, the Red Sox were up 2-0 and threatening. Martinez is one of several members of the Red Sox stuck in a slump; he's 9-for-60 (.150) with one home run and four RBI over the last 15 games.

Winker went 2-for-2 with two walks, a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 10-0 win over the Pirates.

The 27-year-old continues to enjoy a breakout campaign. Winker's 22 homers, 61 RBI and 72 runs are already career highs, and he's on pace for personal bests in batting average (.303) and SLG (.546) as well.