MLB Player News

Manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday that Brantley (hamstring) will be activated from the injured list and start in Tuesday's series opener against the Red Sox, SportsTalk 790 reports.

Reports last week indicated that Brantley was on track to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list early in Houston's road trip, and it appears that the outfielder will rejoin the lineup Tuesday at Fenway Park. Though Baker has yet to release the starting nine, he did note that Brantley will be batting slightly lower than usual in his return. With that said, the 34-year-old will almost surely work his way back toward the top of the Astros' order as he gets back into the swing of things.

Ohtani went 0-for-1 with three walks, a steal and a run in an 8-3 victory over Kansas City on Monday.

Ohtani has taken three free passes in back-to-back contests, and he's swiped a bag in both of those games as well. Though he's hit only one home run while going 5-for-29 over his past 10 contests, Ohtani has collected three thefts over that period and still owns a strong .255/.339/.585 batting line for the season.

Soler went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Angels. He was also hit by a pitch.

Soler has gone just 2-for-12 since returning from a groin injury. The 29-year-old has struggled to provide much power this year -- he's hit five homers while posting a .320 slugging percentage in 54 games. He's added 25 RBI, 19 runs scored and 11 doubles across 207 plate appearances.

Pederson (back) remains on the bench Monday against the Padres.

Pederson exited Saturday's game against the Giants and didn't take part in Sunday's contest. He's reportedly feeling better but will sit for at least one more game. Ian Happ slides to left field in his absence, with Jake Marisnick starting in center.

Carpenter entered Sunday's loss to the Reds in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter, lacing a two-run double and scoring a run in one plate appearance.

The veteran is slowly but surely starting to string some success together at the plate, as he's now reached safely in four consecutive games. Carpenter's gradual surge actually dates further back, as he's slashing .304/.385/.522 with five doubles, three RBI, three walks and three runs across the 26 plate appearances he's logged in the last 11 contests.

Buxton (hip) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old recently resumed running at 100 percent with no issues, clearing the way for him to begin the final stage of his rehab program. Buxton has been on the shelf with a strained right hip for the past month, but he could be reinstated from the injured list for the upcoming weekend series against the Astros, which starts Friday, if all goes well during the rehab assignment.

Ohtani went 0-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base and a run in Sunday's loss to Seattle.

The two-way star struck out twice but also worked three walks. As a point of comparison, Ohtani took only three free passes throughout the entire month of April, so he seems to be developing a keener eye at the plate as the season progresses. Ohtani has been a threat on the basepaths throughout the campaign, totaling eight steals in 11 attempts.

Martinez (wrist) will sit for the third straight game Monday against the Marlins, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Martinez was a late scratch Saturday against the Yankees and didn't participate in Sunday's contest. Though he'll remain on the bench for one more game, the Red Sox are optimistic that Martinez will be ready to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's series opener versus Houston, according to McCaffrey. Rafael Devers will rest his legs and serve as the designated hitter in Martinez's absence Monday.

Winker went 3-for-4 with three home runs, six total RBI and a walk in Sunday's win over the Cardinals.

Winker had one of the best offensive showings of the year, as he took the Cardinals pitching staff deep three times while also reaching base through a walk. The slugging outfielder socked a two-run shot in the top of the first, added a three-run bomb in the second -- both off John Gant -- and delivered the game-winning run with a solo shot in the ninth off reliever Alex Reyes. As a result, Winker became the first player in franchise history to record multiple three-homer games in a single season and he leads the National League in dingers with 17. The 27-year-old outfielder is now hitting .350/.412/.665 with 17 homers and 37 RBI.

Miller went 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBI, two runs and one walk in Sunday's 12-6 win over the Nationals.

Miller had gone 0-for-12 with a walk and eight strikeouts across his last four games, but he bounced back with a dominant performance in Sunday's win. He's now slashing .276/.344/.474 with six home runs, 20 runs and 18 RBI this year.