MLB Player News

Brantley (quadriceps) traveled with the Astros on their road trip to face the Rockies and Padres, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Quadriceps soreness sent Brantley to the injured list over the weekend, though it sounds like he'll have a chance to make a minimum-length stay. He's eligible to return Saturday in San Diego.

Choi will return to being purely a left-handed hitter for the rest of this season, though he isn't giving up on switch-hitting down the line, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

While it was certainly an entertaining moment when Choi surprised the world by hitting right-handed in the third game of the season and crushed a homer over the center-field wall, it's difficult to say the experiment worked. His small-sample .773 OPS as a righty this season was quite decent, though he struck out in 63.6 percent of his right-handed plate appearances, so it's unlikely he would have been able to maintain that number. He believes that his right-handed work messed up his left-handed swing, which seems accurate as he's hit just .167/.270/.278 as a lefty against righties this season. Choi had only started once against a lefty this year, so ending the experiment shouldn't significantly affect his playing time.

Alvarez (knee) may be done for the year, according to a radio interview manager Dusty Baker did with Sports Talk 790.

This ominous knee issue has plagued Alvarez dating back to last year, and it was disconcerting to see it pop up almost immediately after returning from the COVID-19 injured list. The team remains very vague about the nature of the injury and whether or not it will require surgery. Abraham Toro is a candidate to see an uptick in playing time with Alvarez out of the mix for the foreseeable future.

Martinez (illness) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Phillies.

Martinez exited Tuesday's game due to dehydration. It's not exactly clear what the root of Wednesday's absence is, but it's apparently serious enough to sideline him for at least one day. Xander Bogaerts will rest his legs as the designated hitter in his absence, while Tzu-Wei Lin starts at shortstop.

Lewis went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers.

He was the only Mariner to get on base more than once, as the team only managed three hits and two walks off Tony Gonsolin, plus a HBP on Dee Gordon. Lewis had a brief 0-for-12 mini-slump last week but he's since rebounded with six hits in his last three games, boosting his slash line back up to a stunning .344/.423/.522 with five homers, two steals, 16 runs and 17 RBI through 24 contests.

Martinez was removed from Tuesday's game against the Phillies due to dehydration, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The 32-year-old went 1-for-2 with an RBI double before being lifted for a pinch hitter during the fifth inning. Martinez seems likely to return to action within a day or two.

Reyes (wrist) is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, batting fifth as the designated hitter.

Reyes left Sunday's game against the Tigers after getting hit in the wrist by a pitch, but he's ready to go following Monday's scheduled off day. He'll be looking to continue his recent hot streak, in which he's hitting .515 with four homers and 11 RBI over his last nine games.

Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee discomfort Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It certainly hasn't been the sophomore season Alvarez dreamed of thus far. After missing all of camp due to COVID-19 and spending the first part of the regular season building up at the Astros' alternate training site, the young slugger lasted just two days into his return before the knee issues he battled back in spring training returned. He last played Saturday, so he'll be eligible to return Aug. 26, though it's not yet clear if he's expected to do so. Taylor Jones was recalled in a corresponding move and could be an option as the designated hitter, though Abraham Toro has handled the position in Alvarez's absence and will likely continue to do so.

Alvarez (knee) remains on the bench Tuesday against the Rockies, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez played just two games this season before the knee issues that plagued him back in spring training resurfaced. He's now set to sit for the third straight contest. The young slugger underwent an MRI on Monday which came back negative, but it remains unclear when he's expected back on the field. Abraham Toro will be the designated hitter in his absence Tuesday.

Alvarez (knee) underwent an MRI on Monday, and the results were negative, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.

That the results were negative is promising, but the power-hitting Alvarez is not necessarily in the clear. "I asked him when did he start having these problems, and he said back in Double-A," Houston manager Dusty Baker said. "Most of the time when you have knee problems, they don't subside very quickly. And when they do, they have a history of coming back." Alvarez could be available in a pinch-hitting role in the short term.