MLB Player News

Astros manager Dusty Baker said that Alvarez would be held out of the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners due to health and safety protocols, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Houston hasn't formally placed Alvarez on the COVID-19 injured list, so the 23-year-old may just be absent from the lineup as a precaution rather than as the result of a positive COVID-19 test or due to close contact with an infected person. Alvarez previously spent a week on the COVID-19 IL earlier this month, missing five games as a result. Baker said that Michael Brantley would handle designated-hitter duties Wednesday with Alvarez out.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in a victory over Baltimore on Tuesday.

Stanton accounted for the final run of the contest with a 434-foot shot to center field in the seventh inning. The blast was his sixth this season and upped his RBI total to 15. The slugger leads MLB with a 98.3 mph average exit velocity, though he is batting only .205 thus far.

Belt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs scored Tuesday against the Rockies.

Belt has had a shaky start to the season, but he did manage to put together his second multi-hit effort in his last four starts. The highlight was his fourth home run of the season, which was a solo blast in the fifth inning. Belt is now hitting .217/.333/.467 with 10 runs scored and nine RBI across 72 plate appearances for the campaign.

Winker went 3-for-5 with a double, a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers.

Winker led off the game with a solo blast, and he has now homered in three consecutive games. His productive streak extends well beyond that stretch as he also has a 12-game hitting streak, during which he's managed five home runs, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored. Among the hottest hitters in the game, Winker has done plenty to solidify his status as the club's leadoff hitter going forward.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Harper doubled in the first and then singled and stole second in the ninth for his 100th career stolen base, accounting for two of the team's three total hits on the night. The 28-year-old has been an extremely difficult out at the plate over the last nine games, slashing .441/.525/.882 to go along with a 1.084 OPS. Harper does happen to be one of the best first-month hitters in MLB history with a lifetime 1.030 OPS in March/April. That number is more than 100 points better than his best mark in any other month. so it will be interesting to see if he can keep up his production as the season drags on into the summer and beyond.

Solak went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs, two RBI and a strikeout as Texas beat Los Angeles 6-1 on Tuesday.

Solak bookended the game's scoring with a solo home runs in the first and seventh innings and scored an additional run on Joey Gallo's home run in the third. After hitting only two home runs in 58 games last season, Solak already has seven in 24 games this year.

Reyes went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs during Tuesday's 7-4 win over Minnesota.

The 25-year-old powered the offense with three of the team's nine hits, but he had limited RBI opportunities, as he didn't have any any at-bats with runners in scoring position. Reyes has a .308/.337/.679 slash line with seven home runs, four doubles, 17 RBI and 13 runs in 78 plate appearances this season.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Cabrera got the scoring started with a solo home run off of Lucas Giolito in the first inning, giving the veteran two long balls this season. The former superstar is still batting just .171 and recently missed some time due to a biceps strain, but he should still play most days for the Tigers as long as he stays healthy -- which is no guarantee at this point in his career.

Buxton (kneecap) went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Cleveland.

The 27-year-old missed Monday's contest while dealing with patellar tendinitis, but he played like himself Tuesday, going deep for the seventh time this season. In addition to the home runs, Buxton has a .390/.429/.847 slash line with six doubles, 13 RBI, and 12 runs through 16 games in 2021.

Ohtani (blister) is starting at designated hitter and batting second Tuesday against the Rangers.

He exited Monday's start with a minor blister but reportedly was already petitioning to be in the lineup the next day, and he will get his wish. The two-way legend has totaled seven home runs, 17 runs, 18 RBI and three steals while batting .300 over 85 plate appearances.