MLB Player News

Alvarez (hand) was activated off the minor-league disabled list by Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.

Houston's third-ranked prospect made his presence felt immediately upon his return to the lineup. Alvarez launched a pair of two-run home runs -- one in the first inning and another in the third -- before the game was called due to rain in the fifth inning.

Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer against the Cubs on Saturday.

Ozuna took Kyle Hendricks deep in the first inning, recording his 10th home run of the season. He has now homered in three consecutive games and has six home runs in June. Through May, his slugging percentage was at just .337, but his scorching hot June performance has brought that mark up to .444, in line with his career mark.

Cespedes (hip) is currently not participating in baseball activities but is expected to resume his rehab Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Cespedes has been on the disabled list with the hip flexor strain since mid-May and was pulled from his minor-league rehab appearance last Saturday. The 32-year-old was set to fully restart his rehab work after suffering the setback, and the timetable for his potential return is currently unclear.

Buxton (toe) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The pain is gone from Buxton's fractured left big toe, Berardino also reports. The young centerfielder has had a very rough time when healthy this season, hitting an anemic .156/.183/.200 in 28 games. If he can finally get properly healthy, though, he should be an important player for the Twins, though strikeout issues still cap his fantasy ceiling for now.

The Giants activated Belt (appendicitis) from the 10-day disabled list Saturday, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.

Belt makes his return to the Giants on Saturday as expected and should slot back in as the team's everyday first baseman. The 30-year-old hit the disabled list June 2 after getting his appendix removed and was initially expected to miss three weeks, but losing Evan Longoria to a fractured hand earlier this week may have prompted a quicker return.

Soler (toe) is expected to miss at least six weeks, Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star reports.

A foul ball to the foot has interrupted what was looking like a breakout season for Soler. Specifically, he fractured the first metatarsal in his left foot. The 26-year-old will be re-evaluated in a week, and if the fracture has separated any farther, Soler will need to undergo surgery. Whit Merrifield shifted out to right field upon Soler's exit Friday, opening up second base for Ryan Goins.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and two RBI in Friday's loss to the Cubs.

Carpenter hit a solo home run -- his ninth of the year -- off Jon Lester in the sixth and later slashed an RBI single off reliever Anthony Bass in the seventh. This was Carpenter's third multi-hit performance in his last five games, bringing his line to .237/.340/.433 on the year. The 32-year-old had an incredibly slow start to the year (hitting below .200 up until May 20), but he's steadily gotten more hits to fall over the past month.

Soler suffered a fracture of the first metatarsal in his left foot Friday against the Athletics after fouling a ball off his foot, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic Kansas City reports.

The foul ball seems to be the primary cause of the injury, but Soler had also been dealing with a toe injury earlier in June, and it's possible the toe never fully healed. He will have to undergo further examination to find out for sure, but similar injuries (including one suffered by Jayson Werth last season) have cost players multiple months in the past. Expect Soler to be placed on the disabled list Saturday and for a timetable for his return to come together after doctors are able to get a look at the toe in the coming week.

Belt (appendicitis) will be activated Saturday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt insists he is fully recovered from his appendectomy, but the Giants will activate Pierce Johnson instead Friday to keep their bullpen fresh. Belt owns a .307/.403/.547 batting line and will be in the lineup daily upon his return.

Reyes is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Braves.

Reyes will take a seat Friday as Brandon McCarthy takes the mound for the Braves. The 22-year-old has been better after a rough first couple weeks in the majors, but he still has a 38.1 percent strikeout rate and a .225/.262/.475 slash line with six home runs in 80 at-bats.