MLB Player News

Alvarez went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Saturday's win over the Angels.

Batting out of the cleanup spot as the Astros' designated hitter, Alvarez laced a pair of doubles and a single for his ninth three-hit effort of the season. He drove in a run in each of the third and fifth innings to push his RBI total to a team-high 76 on the season. Alvarez is slashing a solid .286/.353/.527 across 417 plate appearances on the campaign.

Rooker went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double in Saturday's 12-0 victory over the Rays.

Rooker took the first pitch he saw from Louis Head deep into the Minnesota night to cash Max Kepler and extend the Twins' lead to nine in the sixth inning. Although he is batting under the Mendoza Line on the season, Rooker has now strung together six hits and two home runs in the first two games of this series against Tampa Bay.

Martinez went 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run in Saturday's 16-2 rout of the Orioles.

He turned around an Adam Plutko pitch in the fifth inning for his 22nd homer of the season, part of a five-homer, 17-hit rampage by the Boston offense in support of Chris Sale during the southpaw's first big-league start in almost exactly two years. Martinez has been feast or famine so far in August -- he has four multi-hit performances in 10 games and also four goose eggs -- but the former has outweighed the latter, leading to a .333 (14-for-42) batting average on the month with 10 RBI.

Buxton (hand) could begin a rehab assignment next week, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton is away from the team for the weekend to attend to a family matter but will return for a workout Monday, at which point the team will determine how to proceed with his recovery. He's been out of action since late June with a broken hand, so he'll likely need more than merely a game or two on his rehab assignment before he's cleared to return.

Choi (hamstring) will bat cleanup and play first base Saturday against the Twins, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi left Tuesday's game against the Red Sox with hamstring soreness. While he returned to the lineup Wednesday, he didn't appear in either of the next two games. He's evidently ready to go again now, however, and will bat in the heart of the order against righty Kenta Maeda.

Rooker went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 10-4 loss to Tampa Bay.

Rooker singled and scored in the fourth inning before knocking an RBI single in the fifth. He put a cherry on top of his big day with a solo blast in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to prevent the blowout loss as it was Minnesota's only extra-base hit of the evening. The rookie outfielder entered Friday's game with a .100 average (5-for-50) in 12 games since his last multi-hit performance July 28. Rooker is now slashing .187/.243/.383 with 11 extra-base hits through 115 plate appearances.

Choi (hamstring) is feeling better and is available off the bench Friday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He got treatment on his left hamstring prior to the game. Choi exited Tuesday's game with the minor injury and played the full game Wednesday, but was out of the lineup Thursday and again Friday. It sounds like he is day-to-day and could potentially return Saturday against righty Kenta Maeda.

Martinez will be on the bench for Friday's game against Baltimore, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Kyle Schwarber will be the designated hitter in both his first game back from a hamstring injury and his first game as a member of the Red Sox. While designated hitter may be Schwarber's best fit on most teams, Martinez is clearly far too good to fall out of the regular lineup, so the Red Sox will have to play one of the two sluggers in the outfield (or potentially first base, in Schwarber's case) most of the time.

Canha will sit Friday against Texas.

Canha had started every game since returning from the injured list back in mid-July. He hasn't been at his best over that 22-game stretch, hitting a modest .222/.388/.296, though his 14:14 K:BB is an encouraging sign. Tony Kemp will be the left fielder Friday.

Ramirez (knee) was placed on the injured list Friday.

Ramirez left Wednesday's game against Oakland with right knee tightness, an issue which is evidently serious enough to cost him at least 10 days. The transaction was backdated to Thursday, so he'll be eligible to return Aug. 22. Infielder Yu Chang was called up in a corresponding move.