MLB Player News

Reyes went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, three runs scored and a walk in a 10-5 win over the Tigers on Friday.

Reyes set the tone early in the game after he sent a pitch to deep center to put the Indians up 2-0. He wasn't done yet as he later tied the game in the fourth inning with an RBI single in what was part of a six-run frame for The Tribe. Reyes has been one of the hottest hitters in the MLB over the last 10 days, slashing .441/.486/.765 with 15 hits and 11 RBI. Reyes won't keep up this kind of production for the remainder of the season, but it appears he has become much more disciplined at the plate, which is something fantasy owners should be excited about.

Solak went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rockies.

The 25-year-old was apparently the only one who got the memo that this game was being played in Coors Field -- the two teams combined for only eight hits, and every one not off Solak's bat was a single. Wherever he's been playing, though, he's been red hot. In his last five games Solak is 11-for-22 with four doubles, Friday's homer (his first of 2020), four RBI, six runs and a stolen base.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a homer, four RBI and a hit by pitch in Friday's 11-1 win over the Mariners.

Alvarez launched a three-run homer as part of the Astros' nine-run first inning. The designated hitter picked up his fourth RBI of the night when he was hit by a pitch from Mariners reliever Yohan Ramirez in the fifth. In 87 games last season, Alvarez hit .313 with 27 homers, 78 RBI and 58 runs scored. His bat is a big addition to the heart of the Astros' order.

Alvarez revealed Friday that his undisclosed absence for the entirety of summer camp was due to a positive COVID-19 test, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros weren't legally allowed to reveal the reason for Alvarez's absence due to privacy concerns, though that lack of information was a very common pattern regarding players who had tested positive, so the news is hardly a surprise. The young slugger didn't experience symptoms worse than headaches, but he still had to spend three weeks building up at the team's alternate training site once he was cleared for baseball activity. He should be close to the everyday designated hitter for Houston moving forward.

Vogelbach isn't in the lineup Friday against the Astros.

Vogelbach smacked a two-run home run Wednesday, but he'll take a seat for the series opener against Houston. Tim Lopes will take over as the designated hitter and bat sixth.

Brantley is not in the lineup for Friday's game against Seattle, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The return of Yordan Alvarez (undisclosed) will have an effect on Brantley's playing time, as he'd been the Astros' primary designated hitter, filling the role in 10 of the season's first 18 games. He'll likely still see playing time in left field, though he'll have to compete with Kyle Tucker, who starts there Friday.

Alvarez will bat fifth as the designated hitter in his season debut Friday against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was out for the entirety of camp for undisclosed reasons but spent the last three weeks ramping up at the Astros' secondary site. He should serve as the team's everyday designated hitter going forward, though it's possible he gets a few extra off days early on to ease him back into game action.

Canha is likely to shift over to center field during Ramon Laureano's four-game suspension, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Canha is a versatile veteran with 139 games of major-league experience in center, so he's a natural candidate to fill in. The 31-year-old is hitting a pedestrian .242 over his first 78 plate appearances, but he's also sporting an impressive .385 on-base percentage thanks to an elevated 14.1 percent walk rate.

Alvarez (undisclosed) was activated from the injured list Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez missed all of camp for undisclosed reasons, but he's now ready to go three weeks after resuming baseball activities. The young slugger hit a remarkable .313/.412/.655 with 27 homers in just 87 games in his debut season last year, though whether or not he'll be able to immediately return to that level following the long layoff remains to be seen. Once he's fully up to speed, he should be the Astros' everyday designated hitter, forcing Kyle Tucker and Michael Brantley to compete for time in left field.

Choi is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Choi will take a seat after going 2-for-12 with a double, three walks, an RBI and a run scored while starting at first base in the first three games of the series in Boston. Jose Martinez will fill in for Choi and bat second Thursday.