MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rockies.

The Astros are holding Smith out of the lineup for a third straight matchup with a right-handed starter (Tanner Gordon), with the rookie's drop in playing time coming while he's slashing just .145/.203/.182 in August. Even if Smith is able to show improvement at the dish in his future starts, he may not get the chance to reclaim a full-time role over the final five weeks of the season after Houston reinstated Yordan Alvarez (hand) from the injured list Tuesday to make their corner-outfield ranks more crowded.

Canzone (wrist) will start in right field and bat seventh in Tuesday's game versus the Padres.

Canzone hasn't played in more than a week due to a left wrist issue that required a cortisone shot. He's feeling well enough to give it a go Tuesday, and as long as his wrist holds up, Canzone should continue to see steady playing time in right field against right-handed pitching.

Buxton is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game in Toronto.

Buxton is in the midst of a 3-for-27 slide at the plate, so he'll get a day off to regroup. James Outman will shift over to center field and Austin Martin will get a start in left field for the Twins.

Manager Joe Espada said Meyers (calf) will report to Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The outfielder landed on the shelf with a calf strain just before the All-Star break in July and is now entering the final stage of his rehab program. Depending how many games Meyers needs to get back up to speed, he could rejoin the Astros as early as this weekend versus the Angels.

Lukes went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI in Monday's win over the Twins.

After a sluggish start to August, Lukes is beginning to build some momentum again at the plate. Over the last seven games, the 31-year-old is batting .273 (6-for-22) with three doubles, a steal, three runs and four RBI. Lukes continues to hold down a strong-side platoon role while bouncing between the outfield corners, but the Blue Jays have options to replace him if his offense continues to face -- since the All-Star break, he's slashing just .214/.262/.419.

Meadows (quadriceps) will undergo a running test over the next few days and could begin a rehab assignment after that if he checks out well, MLB.com reports.

Meadows has been running, hitting and throwing regularly as he recovers from a right quad strain, and he now appears set to advance to the next stage. If the 25-year-old looks good during the running evaluation, he could head out on a brief minor-league rehab assignment before returning from the injured list in early September. Meadows has been out since July 28 and will likely slot in as Detroit's primary center fielder when he's back, at least against right-handed pitching.

Greene went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Athletics.

Greene extended his hitting streak to four games and also picked up a rare stolen base, as it was just his second of the season in three attempts. While he doesn't run a ton, the 24-year-old outfielder has still put together an outstanding fantasy campaign with a team-high 31 home runs and 95 RBI to go along with an .834 OPS, which would be a new career best for the budding star.

Anthony went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 4-3 win over the Orioles.

Anthony swatted a leadoff homer and put himself into the franchise's record books again, this time as the youngest player in team history to hit a leadoff home run. He later singled and scored on Jarren Duran's three-run shot in fifth. Since a chilly 2-for-27 start to his MLB career, Anthony has adjusted to big-league pitching and has slashed .312/.423/.482 over the next 55 games.

Thomas (foot) took on-field batting practice Monday, MLB.com reports.

Thomas has participated in various baseball activities recently, but the Guardians still have no timetable for his potential return. The club is hopeful for a return at some point in September.

Carpenter went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and one run scored in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Athletics.

Carpenter has gone 4-for-30 (.133) over eight games since his last multi-hit effort. He was able to break out of the funk with the bat, though his performance didn't directly lead to much offense for the Tigers. The outfielder is up to a .264/.300/.524 slash line with 22 home runs, 50 RBI, 55 runs scored, 17 doubles, four triples and one stolen base over 103 games this season. He continues to see a large share of playing time between designated hitter and the corner-outfield spots.