MLB Player News

Alvarez went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run in Thursday's 7-2 win over Cleveland.

After the Astros were swept by the Orioles to start the week, Houston's offense was dormant through the first three innings before Alvarez crushed a J.C. Mejia sinker for a 446-foot homer that left the bat at 116.4 mph. That ignited a comeback that included homers from Jose Altuve (grand slam) and Michael Brantley. Alvarez is batting .300/.370/.531 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI over 292 plate appearances.

Collins went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, a stolen base and a walk Thursday against the Twins.

Collins took Jorge Alcala yard in the sixth inning to record his third home run of the season. He also chipped in the first stolen base of his career -- something that should not be counted on moving forward. While Collins is typically buried on the depth chart, he could see some increased opportunities given the number of injuries the White Sox have suffered and the continued dip in playing time for Yermin Mercedes.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, three runs scored, a double and a walk Thursday against the Royals.

Martinez took Kris Bubic yard in the fourth inning to record his 17th home run of the season and second in as many games. His power has disappeared for large stretches of the season, as he recorded only seven home runs combined between May and June after hitting nine in April. However, he's now gone deep four times in his last 12 starts. Overall, Martinez has a maintained a very strong .305/.372/.563 line across 331 plate appearances.

Belt (knee) is opting to rehab his knee rather than undergo surgery, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

This news was expected after it was determined that Belt suffered only minimal structural damage to his knee. He received the opinion of three doctors, all of whom agreed that rehab was a viable option. There's no current timeline for his return.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Thursday that it's "probably a stretch right now" for Canha (hip) to return from the 10-day injured list before the All-Star break begins July 12, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Canha landed on the IL last weekend with a left hip strain, and since he previously required surgery on the same hip in 2016, the Athletics could be inclined to take a cautious approach with the outfielder. Fortunately for Canha, he doesn't appear to be dealing with any structural problems related to that previous surgery, and the Athletics are hopeful that he'll be feeling fresh for the second half after he received platelet-rich plasma injections in both hips earlier this week to address any lingering pain. Ramon Laureano and Tony Kemp have been deployed as Oakland's leadoff men since Canha was shut down with the injury.

Cabrera went 4-for-8 with a home run, two additional runs and two RBI between both halves of Wednesday's doubleheader win over Cleveland.

The veteran first baseman/designated hitter provided exactly two hits in all three games of the series, and he closed June with eight multi-hit efforts over his final 12 starts. The hot streak has helped Cabrera lift his season average to a more palatable .240, but he doesn't hit for enough power at this stage of his career to make for a desirable fantasy option outside of deeper mixed leagues or AL-only formats. Cabrera's .122 ISO is only six points better than the career-worst mark he posted in 2019.

Mercedes will not start Thursday's game against the Twins.

Mercedes has now been on the bench five times in Chicago's last eight games. Jose Abreu will rest his legs as the designated hitter in his absence.

Martinez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Royals.

He got the Red Sox on the board with a three-run blast in the third inning off Mike Minor, giving his squad a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Martinez's production took a step backwards in June, and the veteran slugger slashed .253/.303/.485 with four of his 16 homers on the year.

Harper went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 11-6 loss to the Marlins.

He took Jordan Holloway deep in the second inning to get the Phillies on the board, then launched a shot off Anthony Bass in the seventh that capped his team's scoring. Harper wrapped a solid June with a .278/.366/.556 slash line and six of his 13 homers on the year.

Ohtani retired only two batters in Wednesday's start against the Yankees, allowing seven runs on two hits and four walks while striking out one. He did not factor in the decision.

Ohtani was clearly off his game in the ugly outing, as he threw only 20 of 41 pitches for strikes and issued four free passes while getting only two outs. He also hit a batter and surrendered two singles. The early exit cost Ohtani the chance to make an impact at the plate, as he was forced out of the lineup after only one at-bat. Remarkably, the seven-run implosion didn't result in a loss for the right-hander, as the Angels posted seven runs in the ninth inning to complete a comeback win. Ohtani's ERA jumped over a run from 2.58 to 3.60 as a result of the poor start, and he now holds a troubling 5.2 BB/9 on the campaign. He's been able to navigate around control issues thanks in part to a 12.4 K/9, and prior to Wednesday he hadn't walked more than two batters in any of his previous four contests. Ohtani will try to bounce back from the rough appearance in his next start, which lines up to come at home versus Boston early next week.