MLB Player News

Stanton (shoulder) is scheduled to make rehab appearances with High-A Tampa on Tuesday and Wednesday before joining Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton hasn't played a live game since tweaking his calf while making a rehab appearance for his shoulder injury, but manager Aaron Boone said Monday that the slugger will slot in for a pair of games this week for Tampa. Assuming he comes through those appearances with no setbacks, the plan is for Stanton to join the RailRaiders after a Thursday off-day. It's been a long absence for the veteran, so he could require a few games in Triple-A before returning to the big club.

Martinez is back in action Monday against Texas after missing four straight games due to back spasms, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Martinez's latest battle with back spasms was his third of the year, so the Red Sox will count themselves lucky that he avoided a trip to the injured list. He could require more maintenance days in the near future but will bat third and serve as the designated hitter in Monday's contest.

Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in a win over the Angels on Sunday.

Vogelbach snapped a 12-game long-ball drought with his sixth-inning blast, which served as his 16th of the season overall. Vogelbach continues to bounce back nicely after a forgettable May, as he's gone a solid 8-for-28 (.286) with a double, Sunday's homer, five RBI, seven walks and four runs across nine June contests.

Though Martinez (back) was on the bench for a fourth straight game in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Rays, manager Alex Cora said the slugger's condition is improving, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "He's feeling better but he's not ready to play," Cora said. "So stay away from him. And hopefully [Monday versus the Rangers] or during the week [he'll play]."

While Cora's comments suggest the Red Sox sincerely view Martinez as day-to-day, the team may be motivated to take a cautious approach with his recovery. Martinez has dealt with back spasms on two other occasions this season and missed a little time due to the same issue in 2018, so clearing him to return before he's 100 percent healthy could increase the risk of him experiencing a longer-term setback. The Red Sox will likely reassess his condition early Monday before deciding if he's fit to play in the series opener.

Soler went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the White Sox.

The 27-year-old went deep against White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez and later scored a run in the ninth. Soler is up to 17 homers and 44 RBI in 2019 as he finally seems to be tapping into the power he was expected to have when he was a prospect.

Jimenez went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, a double and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over Kansas City.

The star rookie outfielder is up to eight homers this season with five coming since his return from the injured list May 20. Jimenez still has just 17 RBI and a .713 OPS and hasn't quite broken out the way many fantasy owners had expected.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's game against the Orioles.

Alvarez was promoted to the big leagues ahead of Sunday's series finale, and he showed nearly right away that he belongs in the majors. He clubbed a two-run blast to center field in the fourth inning to get the Astros on the board, and it was all the run support they'd need in a 4-0 victory. The 21-year-old is expected to hang with the big club for the foreseeable future.

Brantley is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager AJ Hinch will hold Brantley out for the day game after the night game, even though the veteran just picked up a breather Monday in Seattle. Brantley's move to the bench may have been influenced in part by his 0-for-9 showing in the first two games. It was just the second time since April 5 the smooth-swinging outfielder failed to record a hit in back-to-back games.

The Astros officially selected Alvarez's contract from Triple-A Round Rock ahead of Sunday's game against the Orioles. He'll serve as Houston's designated hitter and bat fifth, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The slugger will make his highly anticipated MLB debut in the heart of the Houston lineup after a dazzling two months at Round Rock. Over 56 games in the Pacific Coast League, Alvarez slashed .343/.443/.742 with 23 home runs while striking out in a manageable 19.8 percent of his plate appearances. Barring monumental struggles in his first taste of the big leagues, there's a good chance the 21-year-old sticks in Houston for the long haul, making him a must-roster player in just about every format.

Martinez (back) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Martinez has missed the entire four-game weekend series due to back spasms, which led to his early removal from Thursday's game against the Royals. It's not clear how well Martinez has responded to treatment at this time, but the Red Sox's reluctance to move him to the 10-day injured list at this point suggests he's still viewed as day-to-day. Christian Vazquez will replace Martinez as Boston's designated hitter Sunday.