MLB Player News

Alvarez, 19, is slashing .397/.489/.667 with five home runs, 20 RBI and two steals through 22 games for Low-A Quad Cities.

The sample size is small, but the left-handed Cuban is crushing the ball out of the gate. At 6-foot-5, 225 lbs, Alvarez has home run power as well as the ability to swipe the occasional bag. He fits right at home in the Houston organization, and the Astros likely won't even mind the fact that he's averaging more than a strikeout per game.

Canha was sent down to Triple-A Nashville on Friday.

Canha has been struggling mightily at the plate recently, going just 2-for-29 with 17 strikeouts over his past 10 games and hitting .191/.234/.393 with three home runs and seven RBI on the season. He will be replaced by Jaycob Brugman and heads back to Nashville for the first time since early May. If Canha can rediscover his groove at the plate, he is likely to return to Oakland at some point this summer.

Harper was 3-for-4 with one RBI, a walk and one strikeout Thursday against the Orioles during the Nationals' 6-1 win.

He was 2-for-13 following his suspension for charging the mound last week before Thursday. Consider it a good sign that Harper seems acclimated back to the daily swing of things.

Cespedes (hamstring) will resume his rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie on Thursday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Cespedes was able to run at full speed earlier in the week, clearing the way for him to rejoin St. Lucie after suffering a setback during his first rehab stint with the High-A affiliate in late May. It's unclear how long Cespedes will remain on his rehab assignment, but the Mets will likely tread cautiously with the slugger given his previous setbacks. His return to the Mets seems to be on the horizon, though a more concrete timetable should become available as he progresses in his rehab assignment.

Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to Cincinnati.

Carpenter snapped a 14-game homer drought Wednesday, so it was encouraging to see him hit another bomb Thursday. He sports a disappointing .216/.345/.426 slash line for the year but has been able to buoy his fantasy value with serviceable counting stats: 11 home runs, 30 RBI and 27 runs. Considering he posted a .285/.377/.464 line over the previous five years, Carpenter is ripe for a hot stretch.

Vogelbach, who went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Triple-A Tacoma's 8-3 loss to Reno on Wednesday, is slashing .286/.396/.472 with eight homers and 34 RBI over 192 plate appearances with the Rainiers.

Vogelbach has generated encouraging results during his stints at the minor-league level this season, posting a tolerable 19.1 percent strikeout rate and 14 extra-base hits in addition to his aforementioned line. His overall numbers are a notable improvement over his brief stay with the big-league club earlier in the season, during which Vogelbach hit just .176 over 20 plate appearances. However, given the recent improvement demonstrated by Vogelbach's former first-base platoon mate Danny Valencia, it appears that the former will continue getting his reps at the Triple-A level for the time being.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-1 win over Cleveland.

The Rockies leadoff man has been one of the best offensive weapons in the game since mid-April. In his last 44 games, Blackmon is hitting .368 with nine home runs, 38 runs and 38 RBI. He's even added in four SBs for good measure. For the season, his .985 OPS ranks seventh in the National League. In a lineup filled with offensive stars, Blackmon is primed to continue his excellent production.

Lewis (knee) is set to appear at either High-A Modesto or Low-A Clinton on Sunday for his rehab assignment, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Lewis is still at least a week away from returning after undergoing knee surgery last July and ramped up his progress with a simulated game Monday. The outfielder will report to either one of the Mariners' Single-A affiliates by Sunday to begin his rehab assignment.

Carpenter is batting leadoff Wednesday against the Reds, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

This marks the first time that Carpenter will sit atop the order in 2017 after spending lots of time there in years prior. It's unclear if this is a short-term fix with Dexter Fowler getting a night off or if manager Mike Matheny is pulling the plug on Fowler as the team's leadoff hitter, but nonetheless, Carpenter should be in line for more run-scoring opportunities if he can get on base in front of Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday following the placement of Jorge Polanco on the bereavement list, MLB.com reports.

Vargas will serve as infield depth at first base and may only wind up being on the Twins for a few days. The switch hitter was sent down to Rochester in late May following an 0-for-8 performance at the plate. Since his demotion, Vargas has gone 3-for-22 at the Triple-A level, with one home run and three RBI.