MLB Player News

Flores is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

After going 1-for-8 while starting in the first two games of the series, Flores will get a breather for the finale. The Giants will go with Rafael Devers at designated hitter and Dominic Smith at first base while Flores sits.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Royals.

The veteran DH has started three of the last four games as he gets showcased for a potential trade, and Ozuna has done his part to boost his value by going yard in back-to-back contests. Four of his 15 homers on the season have come in July, but he only has eight total hits on the month, batting .167 (8-for-48) over 17 games.

The Cubs recalled Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Ballesteros went 3-for-16 at the plate in an earlier stint with the Cubs and has slashed .332/.393/.496 with nine home runs this season with Iowa. The Cubs don't have a clear opening in the everyday lineup for the 21-year-old at the moment, though he could serve as the team's primary designated hitter in the short term while Ian Happ is day-to-day with a shin injury. Ballesteros will start at DH and bat seventh in Wednesday's series finale with the Brewers.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Alvarez (hand) could be activated from the 60-day injured list in mid-August, Michael Schwab of The Ice Box Insider reports.

Alvarez is working his way through a hitting progression and could be ready to face live pitching soon. He is sure to require a rehab assignment, and any timeline for Alvarez's return has to be considered approximate, given how his recovery has gone. The slugger has been sidelined since early May with a right hand fracture.

Springer (head) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

After Springer was struck on the left ear flap of his helmet by a sinker in Monday's 11-4 loss to Baltimore, he ended up sitting out both ends of a doubleheader Tuesday. He'll remain out of the lineup for a third straight game Wednesday, but Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca relays that Springer's condition is improving, and the 35-year-old was spotted doing some running on the field prior to the contest. Springer isn't likely to be available off the bench Wednesday, but with a team off day on tap Thursday, he could be ready to rejoin the starting nine for Friday's series opener versus the Royals.

Manzardo went 3-for-4 with two homers, a walk and three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Rockies.

Manzardo posted the second multi-homer game of his career with a two-run blast in the third followed by a solo shot in the sixth. He's now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, slashing .357/.429/.762 with five homers and 13 RBI over that span and is now up to 18 home runs and 46 RBI for the season.

Rooker went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Mariners.

Rooker's third-inning blast off Logan Evans was more than enough offense for the Athletics in this contest. Rooker had gone 10 games without a homer, hitting just .179 with two RBI and a 4:14 BB:K in that span. The slugger is up to 22 long balls this season while maintaining a .272/.347/.496 slash line across 110 contests. He's added 61 RBI, 67 runs scored, 24 doubles, three triples and three stolen bases while serving as the primary designated hitter.

The Cubs are expected to recall Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Ballesteros went just 3-for-16 during his first MLB stint back in May but has bounced back nicely in the minors since then, slashing .307/.374/.477 with 38 RBI and 28 runs scored over his last 51 games. The corresponding move for the 21-year-old's promotion hasn't yet been announced, though it could foreshadow a move to the IL for Ian Happ, who injured his shin during Tuesday's loss to the Brewers.

Schwarber went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and a walk in Tuesday's victory against the White Sox.

Schwarber knocked a two-run blast in the third inning for his 37th homer of the year. He's gone deep five times in his last seven games and 12 times over his last 22 games. Schwarber is one long ball shy of tying his 2024 total of 38, and he's quickly approaching his third career 40-homer campaign. His slash line is up to .256/.384/.582 with 86 RBI in 477 plate appearances.

Springer (head) remains out of the lineup for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader in Baltimore.

Springer was forced out of Monday's 11-4 loss to the Orioles after being hit on the head by a pitch and will end up sitting out both legs of Tuesday's doubleheader. He reported improvement prior to the first game Tuesday and should be considered day-to-day for the time being. Bo Bichette will get a start at designated hitter for the Blue Jays in Tuesday's nightcap.