MLB Player News

Alvarez is expected to play left field at some point during the Astros' three-game series that begins Monday against the Reds in Cincinnati, David Barron of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was back at designated hitter Sunday after a flawless day in the field Saturday, when he made three putouts and handled everything that came his way. He's going to be the primary DH going forward, but manager AJ Hinch downplayed any concerns about Alvarez's ability to play the field. "You come up and predominantly you're going to be a DH, and people confuse that with not being useful in the outfield," the manager said. "He made some nice catches and made a running catch. He looked, I'll even call it graceful for a guy that size." With several regulars out of the lineup, the Astros could use Alvarez's bat, which has produced four home runs in 21 at-bats.

Winker went 4-for-5 with a double, home run and five RBI in an 11-3 victory against the Rangers on Sunday.

This performance snapped a streak where Winker went 0-for-6 during a four-game span. With the four hits, Winker's average is now as high as it's been all season. The five RBI was also a season high and matched the total he recorded in the category during all of May. Winker is hitting .244 with 11 home runs, 23 RBI and 31 runs in 205 at-bats this season.

Blackmon finished 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI during Sunday's 14-13 loss to the Padres.

Blackmon came in on the back of three straight four-hit efforts and wasted little time as he hit a solo home run in the first inning. He also collected an RBI on two separate singles, giving him 10 for the four-game series against the divisional foe. Blackmon also collected four homers and nine runs scored over the weekend and will hope to keep it up in the next series on the road against the Diamondbacks.

Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and double in a 5-4 loss against the Pirates on Sunday.

The former Pirates prospect crushed the pitching of the first MLB organization he was apart of, going 5-for-12 (.417) with a double and homer in the weekend series. Power has been rare to come by for Ramirez against every other team, but against the Pirates on Sunday, he posted his first game with two extra-base hits of the season. Ramirez is batting .325 with 10 extra-base hits (including two homers), 16 RBI, 17 runs and two steals in 117 at-bats during 2019.

Collins will have his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

Collins is in line to make his major-league debut after hitting .258 with nine home runs and 38 RBI over 48 games this season while with Triple-A Charlotte. He'll add depth behind the dish while Welington Castillo deals with a lower-back injury.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson will head to the bench after starting the last two games with southpaw Jose Quintana on the mound for Chicago. Kyle Garlick will start in left field in his absence while Enrique Hernandez enters the leadoff spot.

Buxton (wrist) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton's right wrist is still a little tender after he was hit by a pitch Friday, so he'll stay on the bench for a second straight game. Max Kepler will again fill in for Buxton in center field.

Reyes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies due to neck stiffness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Reyes will be held out of the lineup for the third straight game as his neck has apparently been bothering him for a few days. The 23-year-old made pinch-hit appearances in each of the last two games, so it appears the Padres are just expressing some caution. Wil Myers, Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe will start in the outfield from left to right Sunday.

The Yankees intend to activate Stanton (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

One of the higher-profile players on the Yankees' roster who has spent extended time on the IL this season, Stanton finally looks to have moved past the biceps, calf and shoulder injuries that have kept him on the shelf since April 1. Stanton has put his huge power on display during his current minor-league rehab assignment, homering four times in four games between High-A Tampa and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Assuming he experiences no recurrence of the shoulder issue coming out of Sunday's appearance with the Triple-A club, Stanton should immediately reclaim an everyday role in left field. Stanton's arrival will likely leave Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier to vie for one spot in the Yankees' regular outfield.

Ozuna is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.

Ozuna started the last 56 games in left field for the Cardinals and will head to the bench Sunday for only the third time this season. Jose Martinez will take over in left field in the series finale.