MLB Player News

Brantley (quadriceps) will bat sixth and serve as the Astros' designated hitter Sunday against the Padres, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Though Brantley was activated from the injured list Saturday, he ultimately went unused in the Astros' 13-2 loss. While Brantley eases back in from the quad issue, Houston may be reluctant to use him in the outfield, but he should still have an everyday role waiting for him at DH, especially with Yordan Alvarez (knee) set to undergo season-ending surgery. Prior to going on the shelf earlier this month, Brantley slashed .286/.375/.446 with a home run, 10 runs and eight RBI across his first 64 plate appearances of the season.

The Astros placed Alvarez (knee) on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The transaction was just a procedural move after the Astros already acknowledged days earlier that Alvarez would be shut down for the season due to right knee surgery. Houston added pitcher Chase DeJong to the 40-man roster as a replacement for Alvarez.

Turner (hamstring) is not in the lineup Sunday against the Rockies, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The 35-year-old is dealing with a sore hamstring after being hit by a pitch Saturday, and he'll take the day off Sunday. Turner will also have Monday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery, so the Dodgers may just be exercising caution with the veteran. Max Muncy will move to third base while Matt Beaty starts at first in the series finale.

Lewis went 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and three runs in a win over the Rangers on Saturday.

Although he didn't leave the yard, Lewis had one of the more well-rounded real-world and fantasy performances you'll see. The rookie pushed his season line to a stellar .373/.463/.569 with Saturday's effort, which extended his hitting streak to seven games. The double was Lewis' third extra-base hit during that stretch, and he's now put together four multi-hit efforts within that span as well.

McCutchen went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta.

His seventh-inning shot off Grant Dayton gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead before another late-inning disaster by the team's bullpen cost them the win. McCutchen appears to be coming around after a rough start to the season; over his last 12 games, he's hitting .286 (14-for-49) with both his homers on the year plus a steal, six runs and 11 RBI.

Harper went 1-for-2 with two walks, a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta.

His two-run shot off Robbie Erlin in the first inning gave the Phillies an early lead, but the team's bullpen once again fell apart late. Harper is in MVP form, going yard three times in his last five games, and on the season he's slashing a massive .343/.478/.714 with seven homers and 19 RBI through 22 games.

Turner was hit by a pitch during Saturday's win over the Rockies and could receive the day off Sunday due to a sore hamstring, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The veteran third baseman never exited the contest and finished 0-for-1 with a run scored and two walks, so even if he does sit Sunday, it appears to be a minor issue. Turner could also serve as the designated hitter, but a day off would also make sense given he's started the past five games.

Brantley (quadriceps) was activated off the 10-day injured list Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The 33-year-old won't be in the lineup for Saturday's contest, but he'll nonetheless rejoin the active roster after recovering from the quad injury. It previously seemed Brantley was still a couple days away from being activated, and it's unclear if he'll be eased into his regular workload or if he's fully good to go. Josh James (hip) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move.

Brantley (quadriceps) is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Padres, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that he wasn't all that optimistic that Brantley would be able to return for Saturday night's game and he proved to be right. According to Rome, Baker said the 33-year-old looked "real good" when he ran the bases Saturday, and he'll be evaluated again Sunday to determine if he can be activated from the injured list next week.

Pederson isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Rockies.

With a left-hander (Kyle Freeland) on the mound for the Rockies, Pederson will sit for the second time in the past three games. Chris Taylor will start in left field with Enrique Hernandez starting at second base.