Stanton went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run and a walk against the Astros in Friday's 6-2 victory.

Stanton hit one of four Yankees homers against Justin Verlander, smashing a 433-foot two-run shot in the third inning. The long ball was his second in three contests and his 21st of the year over 84 games. Stanton's 14.7 AB/HR on the campaign is in line with his career mark, but his .728 OPS and all three marks in his .205/.283/.445 slash line will be his lowest as a major leaguer if he isn't able to pick up the pace over the closing weeks of the campaign.

Loftin went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 13-2 win over the Red Sox.

Loftin's MLB debut can be considered a success as he was one of six Royals with multiple hits in the blowout win. The infield prospect slashed .270/.344/.444 with a 13.1 percent strikeout rate and 9.7 percent walk rate over 82 games with Triple-A Omaha this year. With the Royals playing out the string, there should be plenty of chances for Loftin to get accustomed to the majors in September, especially since he boasts defensive versatility.

Buxton experienced soreness in the patella tendon of his right knee while playing for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday as the DH, and he was removed from the game after two at-bats, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton played the first game of his rehab assignment Wednesday, which was his first game in center field this year. He then had an off day Thursday. This sounds like a setback which could put his return from the injured list in doubt, as the Twins had been hoping he could return and play center field on a semi-regular basis in September. Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with a strained right hamstring and has served exclusively as a designated hitter in the majors this season due to limitations related to his September 2022 right knee surgery.

Miller (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Frisco.

Miller will likely continue the rehab stint through the weekend before returning to the Rangers' active major-league roster early next week. He's been on the injured list since Aug. 2 because of a left hamstring strain.

Toronto recalled Horwitz from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Horwitz returns to the majors as a backup at first base and in the corner outfield with rosters expanding from 26 to 28. The 25-year-old went 2-for-8 in a brief stint with the Blue Jays back in June and has posted an impressive .337/.450/.495 slash line with 10 homers and 72 RBI across 107 games this summer at Triple-A.

Belt (back) is serving as the Blue Jays' designated hitter and batting cleanup Friday at Colorado.

Belt missed the final two games of the Jays' previous series against the Nationals due to nagging back trouble, but he's good to go Friday versus the Rockies. The 35-year-old has registered an .834 OPS with 15 home runs through 94 games this season for Toronto, and he's a career .317/.375/.563 hitter at Coors Field.

The Blue Jays will recall Horwitz from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Eric Treuden of Jays Journal reports.

Horwitz already had a brief three-game stint with the Jays in June and went 2-for-8 with an RBI and a run scored. He's slashed .337/.450/.495 across 484 plate appearances with Triple-A Buffalo and will serve as a bench bat down the stretch as the Jays make a push for the postseason.

Brantley went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Brantley made his season debut Tuesday and proceeded to tally his first hit one game later. Sidelined for the entire season while recovering from shoulder surgery, it's unclear how much Brantley will be able to contribute for the rest of the regular season. Even so, the Astros appear to be willing to give him regular playing time, as he's started both games since being activated while hitting sixth.

Buxton (hamstring) started in center field Wednesday and went 1-for-2 with two walks at Triple-A St. Paul. He played seven innings. It was the first time Buxton has played in the field in 2023.

Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with a strained right hamstring. It's not clear how long his rehab assignment will last, but he could be activated in early September. Once activated, the 29-year-old looks like he'll get the chance to play his first innings in the field with the big club in 2023 after serving exclusively as a designated hitter prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 4.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI against the Tigers in Wednesday's 6-2 win.

Stanton kicked off the scoring in the contest with a first-inning RBI single and added a 425-foot solo blast in the fourth. The long ball was his sixth in August, though three of them came in a three-game stretch near the start of the month. Overall, Stanton has swatted 20 home runs on the campaign, the 12th time in 14 career seasons he has reached that mark.