MLB Player News

Buxton (shoulder) will take batting practice Thursday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "There's a chance Buck goes out and plays a couple of games [on a minor league rehab assignment] before we would even think about activating him at this level," manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 3 due to a left shoulder subluxation. Since he'll likely need to play in a few minor-league games or more before he returns, he may not be activated from the 10-day IL until rosters expand in September, even if his rehab goes well.

Solak went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored in Wednesday's 8-7 win over the Angels.

Solak remained in the lineup after making his MLB debut in Tuesday's doubleheader. He replaced Rougned Odor at second base Wednesday and played there in the second game of Tuesday's twin bill. While Odor has struggled to a .202 batting average this season, it's way too soon to tell if Solak is being groomed for the job.

Dickerson went 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored while batting cleanup in Wednesday's 12-11 loss to the Cubs.

Dickerson returned to the lineup after being situated on the bench for the Giants' last two contests. The 29-year-old responded with his first multi-hit game since being activated from the injured list Aug. 14. Dickerson has started just three of seven contests since returning, and while a couple of those absences can be attributed to platooning, it is apparent that the club is treating the outfielder with kid gloves in an effort to not aggravate his back. That said, we could see him back in the starting nine against the right-handed Kyle Hendricks on Thursday.

Blackmon went 2-for-5 with two RBI on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.

Blackmon turned in another productive start, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Specifically, he recorded two RBI singles, one coming in the first frame and the other in the seventh. With the benefit of his recent run, Blackmon is now hitting .330/.375/.610 across 496 plate appearances for the season.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Red Sox.

The 26-year-old is enjoying a power surge in August, slashing .264/.376/.653 through 19 games with nine homers and 20 RBI. It's debatable whether Harper's been worth the $30 million he's being paid this season, but at least he's getting hot at the right time as the Phillies battle for a playoff spot.

Brantley is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, David Barron of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley will get what appears to be a regular day off after starting 13 of the past 14 games for Houston, slashing .444/.500/.722 with two home runs and a 5:5 BB:K during that stretch. In his place, Myles Straw is starting in left field and hitting ninth.

Reyes is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mets.

Reyes will sit for a second straight game with no DH spot available at Citi Field. The Indians will go with Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen and Yasiel Puig from left to right in their outfield in this one.

Ramirez is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Braves, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

He is hitting .286 with one home run in 56 at-bats this month. Curtis Granderson starts in left field, batting sixth.

Alvarez walked in all four of his plate appearances Tuesday in the Astros' 6-3 win over the Tigers.

Despite not accruing an at-bat, Alvarez still had a very noteworthy performance with his four-walk outing. According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the 22-year-old became the youngest player to walk four times in a game since Barry Bonds achieved the feat as a 21-year-old in 1986. Alvarez's on-base percentage now sits at .424, good for third among all players with at least 200 plate appearances since the rookie debuted June 9.

Ohtani is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.

Ohtani will head to the bench for Wednesday's series finale against lefty Mike Minor as the Angels give Mike Trout a turn at DH following Tuesday's twin bill. Since the start of August, Ohtani is slashing .364/.400/.561 with one home run and two steals in 18 games (15 starts).