MLB Player News

Wallner went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Thursday's 4-1 loss to Miami.

Wallner broke the Marlins' shutout attempt in the seventh inning, when he took Cade Gibson deep to center field for a solo home run. It was Wallner's eighth home run of the season, six of which have come since the beginning of June. That hasn't masked the 27-year-old outfielder's struggles at the plate this season, as he sports a .199/.295/.444 slash line with 14 RBI and a 28.9 percent strikeout rate in 173 plate appearances.

Bichette (knee) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.

Bichette tweaked his right knee when he stepped on a ball during batting practice prior to Monday's game versus the Yankees, and he will wind up being out of the lineup for all four games of the series. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Bichette should be available off the bench, however, and it's "very realistic" the shortstop will be back in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Angels, per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Ernie Clement will again handle shortstop, while Will Wagner will be to Clement's right at third base.

Gimenez isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.

Gimenez will take a seat for Thursday's series finale after going 5-for-8 with a homer, three RBI and four runs scored over his last two games. Leo Jimenez will fill in at the keystone for Toronto and bat ninth.

Festa (2-3) took the loss against the Marlins on Thursday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out seven across six innings.

Festa put the Twins behind early after yielding three runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Agustin Ramirez. Festa gave up another run in the third, but he settled in over his final three innings -- striking out six batters over that span -- yet didn't receive enough run support to fade the loss. He has a 7.28 ERA (in 29.2 innings) across six starts since being promoted from Triple-A St. Paul in early June, but that number is inflated by two outings in which he gave up eight runs apiece. Festa is slated to face the Cubs at home next week, which will likely be his last turn in the rotation before the All-Star break.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said that Pena (rib) could resume baseball activities this weekend, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Pena has been resting for the past few days after landing on the 10-day injured list Monday with a small rib fracture on his left side, but it sounds like he could start ramping things up soon. A timetable for the shortstop's return could become clearer after he advances in those activities.

McCormick (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCormick has been shelved since late May with a left oblique strain but is finally ready to test things out in game action. If all goes well, he has a shot for activation from the 10-day injured list prior to the All-Star break. McCormick was playing sparingly before getting hurt and that's unlikely to change upon his return.

Alvarez was administered two injections in his right hand after a hand specialist determined Wednesday that the Alvarez is dealing with inflammation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez experienced renewed soreness in the hand Tuesday after ramping up baseball activities, prompting a visit to the specialist. Additional imaging revealed that the main cause of the discomfort is inflammation, and the previously discovered fracture is a non-factor in Alvarez's soreness. Alvarez will be shut down for a few days before being re-evaluated. While the latest news is about as good as Alvarez and the Astros could have hoped for, there is no timetable for the resumption of his hitting progression or for his return to the active roster.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Diaz will receive a breather for the series finale in Colorado after he had started in each of the Astros' last six games, with five of those starts coming behind the dish. Victor Caratini will handle catching duties Thursday for the Astros.

Hummel will start in left field and bat seventh in Thursday's game against the Rockies, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

With all of Yordan Alvarez (hand), Pedro Leon (knee), Chas McCormick (oblique), Zach Dezenzo (hand) and Jacob Melton (ankle) stuck on the injured list, Hummel has been able to emerge as a fixture in the Houston outfield of late. He'll pick up his fifth consecutive start in left field Wednesday and his ninth start in the last 10 games overall. Since the Astros called him up from Triple-A Sugar Land on June 14, Hummel has hit .242 with two home runs, three RBI and two additional runs over 15 games.

Dubon will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Rockies, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Dubon will cover shortstop for Houston for the fifth consecutive game and looks primed to serve as the Astros' primary option at the position until Jeremy Pena (rib) is ready to return from the injured list. The 30-year-old possesses strong contact skills and is striking out at a career-low 8.4 percent rate this season, but he doesn't hit the ball hard or for much power, which is reflected in his .247 batting average (.253 xBA) and his five home runs in 178 plate appearances.