MLB Player News

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday that Brantley's (shoulder) progress has "plateaued somewhat," Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brantley had been ramping up his activities as he works his way back from a setback with his surgically repaired right shoulder, but he's now encountered another bump in the road. Baker didn't go into specifics regarding how significant Brantley's setback might be, but the 36-year-old at least no longer looks like he'll be an option to return from the 60-day injured list coming out of the All-Star break.

Rooker entered Sunday's loss to the White Sox as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning and remained in the game in right field, going 1-for-2 with a two-run home run.

Named to his first All-Star Game earlier in the day, Rooker struck out looking during his official pinch-hit plate appearance before putting some much-needed good wood on the ball and sending a Bryan Shaw cutter 441 feet over the center field fence with Shea Langeliers aboard in the eighth. Rooker had been mired in a 3-for-34 slump over the prior 11 contests coming into the game, but he's now got a modest three-game hitting streak going that also includes his first career triple.

Belt went 2-for-4 with two solo homers in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Red Sox.

Belt took advantage of a less than 100 percent version of Garrett Whitlock, taking him yard in Whitlock's only inning of work. Belt found the grandstands once again in the sixth inning, this time launching a solo home run off Nick Pivetta. The multi-homer effort was his first of the campaign and boosted his season total to six long balls through 215 plate appearances. The lefty is slashing .267/.374/.473 against right-handed pitching and has hit all six of his homers off righties.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

After clobbering 15 home runs over 27 games in June, Ohtani began July with an 0-for-4 effort. He was right back to his slugging ways in his second game of the month, tacking on an insurance run with his eighth-inning blast. He leads the majors with 31 long balls while maintaining a stellar .306/.390/.670 slash line with 68 RBI, 61 runs scored and 11 stolen bases through 84 contests. While he's dealt with a cracked fingernail over the last week, the two-way star is expected to take his next turn on the mound Tuesday versus the Padres.

Alvarez (oblique) took batting practice in the cage Sunday and swung at 60 percent intensity, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

It's the first time the 26-year-old has taken batting practice since he suffered the oblique strain June 8, but he still has significant work to do in his rehab program before returning from the injured list. Alvarez is without a clear timetable for his return, but an activation in mid-July seems feasible if he can avoid any setbacks.

Rooker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Rooker is in a 3-for-34 slump and finds himself on the bench for the third time in the past four games. The 28-year-old still has an .802 OPS for the season, but that figure remains inflated from a hot April during which he hit .353 with nine home runs. Rooker has a .618 OPS and 34.9 percent strikeout rate since the start of May.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.

Cabrera will get a breather for the matinee game after he started five of the Tigers' last six contests while going 5-for-15 with a pair of walks, two RBI and a run scored. Zach McKinstry will replace Cabrera as the Tigers' designated hitter.

Ford went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and two walks in a win over the Rays on Saturday.

Ford drove in the first run of the game with his timely second-inning knock that plated Jarred Kelenic, and he subsequently kept up his recent constant presence on the basepaths with his pair of free passes. Ford is 6-for-16 with two home runs, four RBI, Saturday's two walks and three runs in his last six games, reaching safely at a .375 clip in that span. Despite a lackluster .214 average and .262 on-base percentage for the season, Ford's notable power upside captured by his .536 slugging percentage helps explain his near-everyday playing time at designated hitter.

Jimenez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a walk in an extra-inning loss to Oakland on Saturday.

Jimenez came through early for Chicago, swatting a solo homer to center field in the second inning and adding an RBI single in the third. However, he was replaced for a pinch runner after walking in the eighth. Despite the late substitution, Jimenez extended his modest hitting streak to five games, a stretch in which he's batting .429 (9-for-21) with two homers, six RBI and four runs.

Ohtani (fingernail) will start Tuesday's game against the Padres, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Ohtani exited his start last Tuesday against the White Sox with a trainer due to a cracked fingernail, though he never missed any time as the Halos' designated hitter. He's since been cleared to take his next turn through the rotation but will be pushed back one day -- swapping places with Jaime Barria.