MLB Player News

Alvarez (knee) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Astros manager Joe Espada said that Alvarez's right knee is still "pretty sore" after the 26-year-old was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning of Saturday's 9-3 loss. Alvarez was ultimately removed from Saturday's contest in the eighth inning, and he'll now miss out on a start for the first time since June 19 while he receives treatment for the knee. Espada seemed to downplay the injury and suggested that Alvarez could hit in the batting cage Sunday, though the Astros could still look to stay away from Alvarez in the series finale even if a potential pinch-hitting situation emerges. After Sunday's game, the Astros are off Monday before kicking off a three-game series with the Marlins on Tuesday.

Martinez will start at third base and bat second in Sunday's game against the Giants.

Martinez had started each of the last three games while the Guardians faced left-handed pitching, going 3-for-8 with two doubles, six walks and three runs. The switch-hitting Martinez will stick in the lineup Sunday against a righty (Hayden Birdsong), though the 22-year-old's opportunities could still expected to be largely limited to left-handed pitching while he's up with the big club.

Fry is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Fry will receive a breather in the series finale after he had started in four of the Guardians' last five contests. With Fry on the bench, the Guardians will open up the designated-hitter spot for Jose Ramirez, who will cede third base to Angel Martinez.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Naylor will get a breather for the afternoon contest after he had started behind the plate in each of the Guardians' last four games while going 2-for-14 with a walk, two RBI and a stolen base. Austin Hedges will handle the catching duties Sunday.

Rodriguez (thumb) began a rehab assignment with Minnesota's FCL team and went 4-for-6 with three doubles in his first two games Friday and Saturday.

Rodriguez sustained a thumb injury June 5 while sliding into second base on a double. The 21-year-old prospect had been tearing it up in Double-A this season, slashing .298/.479/.621 with eight home runs and 20 RBI over 167 plate appearances.

Raley went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Raley got the Mariners to within one run in the ninth with his 379-foot solo shot to right field, but Seattle was ultimately unable to force extra innings. The 29-year-old snapped a nine-game power drought with his blast, locking in a double-digit home-run total for the second straight season in the process.

Gelof went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in a win over the Orioles on Saturday.

Gelof contributed to the Athletics' astounding seven-run second inning, lacing a two-bagger to left field that plated Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers. The 24-year-old is enduring a tougher-than-expected second big-league season after setting high expectations a rookie in 2023, but he's showing a bit of life at the plate of late with a .257 average and .794 OPS across 41 plate appearances in his last 10 games. Nevertheless, his Achilles heel continues to be consistent contact -- even during that encouraging stretch, Gelof has struck out at a bloated 39.0 percent clip.

McCann entered Saturday's win over the Orioles as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and hit a two-run home run in his one plate appearance.

McCann's blast ironically came off namesake and fellow backstop James McCann, who was in as a reliever at that point with the Orioles down 17-6. McCann's homer plated Max Schuemann with the final runs of the night for the Athletics and served as his first time leaving the yard since May 7, a span of 21 games for the occasional fill-in catcher. The rookie has been impressive at the plate overall during his first taste of big-league action this season, with Saturday's production pushing his slash line to a stellar .291/.390/.465 across 100 plate appearances.

Harris went 3-for-4 with an RBI infield single, two doubles, a walk and three runs in a win over the Orioles on Saturday.

The rookie was a catalyst in the Athletics' 19-run outburst, driving in Armando Alvarez with his second-inning single and crossing the plate on three occasions thanks to his constant presence on the basepaths. Harris has reached safely in four of the first five games of his current big-league stint, and Saturday marked the first three-hit game of his young career.

Andujar went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, a two-run double, a walk and a run in a win over the Orioles on Saturday.

Andujar didn't join in on the Athletics' long-ball barrage, but he did plenty of damage with his pair of knocks. The hot-hitting veteran's trio of RBI came when Oakland already owned a commanding lead, as his fourth-inning single drove home Brett Harris to make the score 14-1, and he tacked on two more runs to the advantage with his sixth-inning double. The multi-hit effort, Andujar's first since June 26, pushed his average back over the .300 mark (.304), and he's now driven in five runs over his last three contests following a 12-game RBI drought.