MLB Player News

Garcia (elbow) has begun throwing live batting practice sessions at Houston's spring training complex in Florida, MLB.com reports.

Garcia has thrown several bullpen sessions since early June and is now able to take the next step in his recovery. He could embark on a rehab assignment shortly, with the aim of returning in late July or early August.

Alvarez (hand) took 25 swings in the batting cage Saturday and is scheduled to do so again Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Alvarez first resumed swinging June 24 and has been sidelined since early May. He is likely to need a rehab assignment but is hoping to return before the All-Star break.

Paredes went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a hit-by-pitch in Saturday's loss to the Cubs.

Paredes' homer was a 328-foot poke to left field that didn't make much of an impact on the final outcome, but it counts all the same for fantasy managers. The long ball ended a six-game stretch without an RBI for the infielder, who went just 4-for-19 with no extra-base hits during that span. Despite that mini slump, Paredes is up to a healthy 17 homers and 46 RBI on the season, and he leads Houston in both categories.

McCullers (1-3) took the loss against the Cubs on Saturday, allowing eight runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out one batter over 3.1 innings.

McCullers came off the 15-day IL on Saturday after recovering from a right foot sprain, but he didn't pitch well against a tough Chicago offense. The right-hander walked in a run in the first inning, and after tossing perfect second and third frames, things really fell apart for him in the fourth. The Cubs put seven straight runners on base against McCullers in that inning, and their six hits included three homers and a triple. It was the first time this season that the veteran hurler has given up more than one home run in an outing, and Saturday's start was also his second shortest of the campaign. Discarding two bad blow-ups this season, McCullers has a 2.79 ERA over six starts spanning 29 frames. However, those meltdowns have been really bad -- combined, he's allowed 15 runs across 3.2 innings in that pair of starts. As a result, his season ERA stands at an ugly 6.61.

Arias went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk Saturday in a loss to the Cardinals.

All of Cleveland's runs Saturday came in the fourth inning, and Arias contributed a 427-foot, two-run blast in that frame. It was just his second homer over his past 60 games after Arias began the campaign with four long balls across his initial 16 contests. The infielder/outfielder set his major-league high of 10 home runs in 2023, which he established over 345 plate appearances and has a chance of topping this year.

Campero hit a solo home run in his lone at-bat in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Campero has been up with the big club since June 20, covering for the absence of Jorge Soler (back), but LaMonte Wade has claimed a strong-side platoon role in right field. Campero made his impact off the bench Saturday, going deep in the eighth inning for his first homer of the season and the second of his young career. He's batting .222 (4-for-18) with a stolen base and a 2:4 BB:K across 20 plate appearances this season. Soler took batting practice Saturday and could be closing in on a return, and it seems likely Campero would be sent back down to Triple-A Salt Lake to get more consistent playing time once Soler is activated.

Newman went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Newman gave the Angels some separation with his long ball in the seventh inning. The reserve infielder has gotten a look at shortstop lately, though that is likely to be a short-term opportunity while Zach Neto (shoulder) is on the mend. The homer was Newman's first of the season to go with eight RBI, nine runs scored, one stolen base, two doubles and a .202/.212/.262 slash line across 86 plate appearances.

Lewis (hamstring) could be activated from the 10-day injured list as soon as Tuesday, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.

Lewis began a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday and served as a designated hitter on consecutive days, going 0-for-5 with a walk between those contests. He will likely need to play third base in a game before being activated. If Lewis doesn't get reinstated Tuesday ahead of the Twins' three-game series in Miami, he'll most likely stay with St. Paul through Thursday before potentially rejoining the parent club for its home series with the Rays that begins Friday. Lewis strained his left hamstring June 13 after missing five weeks to begin the season with the same injury to his left leg. Given his long history of soft-tissue injuries, Lewis could see a larger share of his playing time as a DH once the Twins activate him.

Trout went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Trout tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh inning, igniting a six-run rally by the Angels in that frame. The outfielder has homered three times over his last 14 games, going 12-for-47 (.255) while adding a 16:19 BB:K in that span. While he's batting just .231 for the year, he's getting on base at a .345 clip as he continues to display his trademark excellent plate discipline. Trout is at 13 homers, 31 RBI, 28 runs scored and two stolen bases over 56 contests.

Cecconi allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five batters over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against St. Louis on Saturday.

Cecconi served up a leadoff homer to Brendan Donovan in the first inning but then settled down and held a 6-1 lead entering the fifth. The right-hander got two quick outs in that frame, but he then gave up a walk, a double and a two-run single and was subsequently given the hook. It was just the second time in eight starts this season that Cecconi hasn't completed five innings, and the outing marked the first time through five appearances in June that he's given up more than two earned runs. The 26-year-old missed the first part of the season due to an oblique strain, but he's been fairly effective since making his season debut May 17, posting a 3.64 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with a 42:14 K:BB over 42 frames.