MLB Player News

Choi hit his first homer, a solo shot, in a 1-for-4 game in Monday's win over the Rangers.

Choi reached base in each of his first five starts before getting on the home run board in his sixth game of his second MLB stint Monday. His power came more in the form of doubles for Triple-A Salt Lake, where he hit 14 doubles and four home runs as part of a .327/.411/.485 batting line. If he does catch fire at the MLB level, expect the rewards to come in the form of a high batting average and runs scored rather than big-time power.

Reed is back in the lineup for Monday's game against Oakland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Reed has been sitting against left-handers, but will get the nod at DH against Oakland righty Kendall Graveman. The Astros are rich in first base and DH options, so they will likely play matchups with Reed, Evan Gattis, Marwin Gonzalez et al the rest of the way.

Reed is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners.

The Mariners are starting a left-handed pitcher for the second time this series, so Reed will accordingly find himself on the bench. Reed hasn't exactly dominated right-handed pitching since his promotion (6-for-30 with two homers), so until he finds more success, he'll be limited to platoon duties at first base or DH.

Buxton is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians.

Buxton recently returned from a knee injury suffered prior to the All-Star break, and with Saturday's game going 11 innings, it looks like manager Paul Molitor just wanted to give the 22-year-old a breather. Danny Santana will cover center field in Buxton's stead.

Vargas started at DH and went 2-for-5 with a double in Saturday's win over Cleveland.

Vargas continues to stay in the lineup while he's hot. He's hitting .400 (10-for-25) with nine of his 10 hits being extra-base hits.

Goins appears to be on track to make his return when he's eligible to come off the DL on Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Goins has been out since June 29, when he experienced tightness in his right forearm during a rare pitching appearance in a game against the Indians. He began a rehab appearance with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday and he's eligible to come off the DL on Sunday for the final game of the Jays' series in Oakland. However, he was playing poorly before hitting the DL, and middle infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis are healthy again, which means Goins won't have much fantasy value.

Martinez's return from a broken elbow is "still a few weeks off, probably, " according to manager Brad Ausmus, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Martinez could still return during his estimated recovery timetable, which was set at 6-to-8 weeks following his mid-June injury, but it appears likely his absence will stretch into August. He is not yet ready to face live pitching, and will almost certainly require a rehab assignment before rejoining the big league club. Steven Moya and Mike Aviles figure to continue sharing the left-field duties in Martinez's place.

Brantley (shoulder), who will move his rehab to Double-A Akron on Friday, hopes to play in consecutive games soon, MLB.com reports.

Brantley could be playing consecutive games by the start of next week as he works his way back. The Indians want Brantley to be able to handle a heavy load upon his return to the lineup so he'll need to prove he can handle consecutive games without incident in his rehab program as a first hurdle.

Reed is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Marwin Gonzalez will get the nod at first base with the Astros facing lefty James Paxton to kick off the second half. The 23-year-old Reed hasn't exactly hit the ground running since his promotion from Triple-A (5-for-35, 16 strikeouts), but the Astros figure to let the slugger learn on the job while serving on the large end of a first-base platoon.

Buxton (knee) is back in the lineup Friday against the Indians.

The 22-year-old was carted off the field last week after a collision with the outfield wall, leading many to fear the worst. However, X-rays were negative and an MRI later confirmed that Buxton's knee is fine structurally. He will slot back into center field and the nine-hole against right-hander Carlos Carrasco after missing just two starts, and the last-place Twins figure to continue giving Buxton regular time in the second half despite his disappointing performance so far this season.