MLB Player News

Brantley went 1-for-4 with double with a run scored in Tuesday's 7-1 win over Boston.

Brantley was activated off the injured list for Tuesday's game and batted sixth, which may be a temporary assignment, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Manager Dusty Baker wants to monitor Brantley's hamstrings and promised to move him up in the order. He'd been the primary two-hole hitter prior to his injury, but Baker may not want to disrupt the surging Carlos Correa (16-for-40, five HR), who has settled in behind leadoff batter Jose Altuve. The two hole is an ideal spot for an Astros hitter, as it affords protection via the formidable presences of Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel.

Harper went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks during Tuesday's 9-5 loss to Atlanta.

The 28-year-old's fourth-inning homer was his first since May 11, a span that encompassed 12 games, 44 plate appearances and a stint on the injured list. Harper has a .274/.398/.493 slash line with eight home runs, eight doubles, 15 RBI, 18 runs and five stolen bases in 41 games this season.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a double, an additional run scored and a walk in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Royals.

Ohtani slammed a two-run shot off Kris Bubic in the first inning to put the Angels up early. His 17th long ball of the season Tuesday lands Ohtani in second on the home-run leaderboard in the American League. In addition, he leads the Angels in RBI (44), runs (40) and stolen bases (nine). He has displayed a premium amount of combined power and speed, ranking third in all of baseball in home runs plus steals. The 26-year-old is slashing .261/.346/.606 in 231 plate appearances.

Belt (oblique) went 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored in Tuesday's 9-4 win over Texas.

Belt spent just under two weeks on the injured list. He was productive in his return, notching his first multi-hit game since May 8. The first baseman is slashing .246/.366/.483 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 21 runs scored and two stolen bases in 142 plate appearances. He is likely to resume a near-everyday role going forward, although it wouldn't be surprising to see the 33-year-old receive maintenance days at times.

Solak went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double Tuesday against the Giants.

Solak made his lone hit of the contest count by delivering a two-RBI double in the sixth inning. Entering the game, he had failed to drive in a run in each of his last seven contests and gone only 4-for-23 at the plate in that span. Despite the slump, Solak still has a 100 wRC+ with eight homers, 26 RBI and 36 runs scored across 259 plate appearances for the season.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, another RBI and a walk during Tuesday's win over the Red Sox.

Alvarez extended Houston's lead by mashing a 420-footer against Matt Andriese in the fourth inning. He tacked on another RBI after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second. It was the eighth long ball of the year for the 23-year-old, who has mainly seen time as the designated hitter for the Astros, though his two outfield starts lead to some hope he could eventually qualify elsewhere. Overall, he sports a solid slash line of .295/.342/.508 across 48 games.

Dickerson was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rangers with back tightness, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The 31-year-old was batting second as the designated hitter and went 0-for-1 before being replaced by a pinch hitter during the third inning. Dickerson should be considered day-to-day until the team updates his status.

Pederson (back) is starting in left field and batting leadoff Tuesday at San Diego.

The 29-year-old has been held out of the lineup since exiting Saturday's contest with back tightness, but he'll rejoin the starting nine Tuesday. Pederson is mired in a 2-for-22 slump over his past seven games, though both hits were home runs.

Manager Joe Maddon confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for Friday's game against Arizona, but he doesn't plan on having the two-way star start in the outfield during the remainder of the series, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani will hit as the pitcher in the NL park Friday, but based on Maddon's comments, he'll be limited to pinch-hit duty Saturday and Sunday. Considering that Ohtani has logged some innings in the outfield, it's possible he could see some time out there off the bench over the weekend.

Choi (groin) is feeling much better and has a chance to return from the injured list when first eligible Sunday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi hit the injured list for the second time this season when he strained his left groin in early June. The issue doesn't appear to be a particularly serious one, however, so his return is on the horizon.