MLB Player News

Alvarez (hand) started swinging a bat Friday and is traveling with the team, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Friday is the start of a six-game road trip for the Astros, and general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that the organization could "try to expedite (Alvarez's) return." Alvarez may have just started swinging, but it looks like Houston will push to get him in the lineup sometime during the road trip. He'll likely be eased into action by playing DH at first, though. Alvarez has been on the IL since May 5 with a fractured hand.

The Astros reinstated McCormick (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCormick played six games in the minors while working his way back from a left oblique strain that has plagued him since May, going 4-for-23 with two homers, four RBI, four runs scored and a steal. Now healthy, he'll provide some depth to an Astros outfield unit that has been decimated by injuries. However, his .649 OPS in the bigs this year isn't likely to buy him regular playing time. Kenedy Corona was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

McArthur (elbow) has suffered a setback in his recovery, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

McArthur had two screws placed in his elbow over the offseason to help stabilize his fractured right elbow. He recently had the screws removed, but he hasn't been progressing well through his throwing program since then. The 28-year-old righty will now undergo additional testing to determine next steps, and there's no telling when he'll return to the mound for Kansas City.

Gil (lat) will throw 55-to-60 pitches Friday for Double-A Somerset and may need only one additional start before being activated, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The tentative plan for Gil is to follow up Friday's start with a rehab appearance with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. If all goes well in both outings, he could rejoin the Yankees' rotation. The 27-year-old hasn't appeared in an MLB game this season after suffering a high-grade lat strain during spring training.

Lange (lat) is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday as part of his rehab assignment, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Lange was pulled off his rehab assignment July 8 with mild tightness in his right lat, but he's been cleared to resume his minor-league stint. He made seven appearances before being pulled off the assignment, allowing one run over 6.2 innings. The 29-year-old has yet to make his 2025 debut, but it looks like he's getting close.

Giolito (6-2) took the loss in Friday's 4-1 defeat against the Cubs, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks across 5.1 innings while recording six strikeouts.

Giolito ran into trouble immediately Friday, issuing back-to-back walks and serving up a three-run homer to Seiya Suzuki before recording his first out. The right-hander recovered well from the rocky start, keeping the Cubs quiet over the next four innings before exiting in the sixth after surrendering a double to Ian Happ. Despite the tough outing, the 31-year-old has now registered at least five strikeouts in six straight starts and owns a 1.66 ERA with a 39:9 K:BB across 38 innings during that stretch. Giolito is slated to make his next start July 23 against the Phillies.

The Rangers selected Freeman's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Freeman has spent all season in Triple-A, where he owns a .315/.367/.494 slash line alongside 12 homers, 54 RBI, 60 runs scored and eight steals through 79 games. The 24-year-old has spent most of his time this year at third base, but he also has experience at second, shortstop and catcher. He'll presumably serve as bench depth while Sam Haggerty (ankle) is on the IL.

Povich (hip) will make a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Norfolk, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Povich threw three perfect innings in his most recent rehab start at High-A Aberdeen, and he'll continue his assignment at the Triple-A level. He threw just 30 pitches in the outing. It's unclear if Saturday's start will be his last or if he'll require another outing before being activated. Regardless, it's unclear if there will be a spot in the big-league rotation for Povich once he's healthy.

The Rangers placed Haggerty on the 10-day injured list Friday with left ankle inflammation, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Haggerty has gone 4-for-16 with four runs scored and a stolen base in eight games since the start of July. His ankle will now cause him to spend at least 10 days on the IL, and the Rangers will promote Cody Freeman to fill the void on the active roster.

Bradish (elbow) will throw two innings of live batting practice Saturday and is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Bradish has faced hitters several times already, so assuming he makes it through Saturday's workout unscathed, he'll be ready to advance to the final phase of his recovery from his June 19, 2024 Tommy John surgery, which involved the insertion of an internal brace. Bradish will need several minor-league outings to get fully stretched out, so he likely won't be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list until mid-to-late August.