Braves’ Albies out with broken wrist
ATLANTA — Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies broke his left wrist late in Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals and is expected to miss about eight weeks.
Albies got hurt trying to catch a throw when Michael Siani stole second in the ninth inning. Siani slid into Albies as the infielder reached for the ball, bending back his glove hand at an awkward angle.
Albies crouched in pain on the field and held his left wrist. He was replaced at second base by Zack Short.
Following their 6-2 defeat, the Braves announced X-rays revealed a left wrist fracture, and Albies is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.
The three-time All-Star is hitting .255 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs, almost exclusively from the No. 2 spot in the batting order.
The Braves made two moves to replace Albies on Monday, recalling infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. from triple-A Gwinnett and signing veteran Whit Merrifield.
Merrifield, who was released by the Phillies on July 12, hit .199 in 53 games for Philadelphia, making 20 starts in left field, 12 at second base and eight at third base.
Díaz, recently cut by A’s, joins Astros
The Astros selected Aledmys Díaz to their major-league roster Monday, completing their reunion with the veteran utilityman.
Houston optioned infielder Grae Kessinger to triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding active roster move. Infielder David Hensley was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Díaz on the 40-man roster.
Díaz, who played for the Astros from 2019-22, resigned with the team on a minor-league deal earlier this month after being released by the Oakland A’s. He played in four games for Houston’s rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate before being activated, going 5-for-15.
Soto’s two homers help Yankees win
Juan Soto hit two of the Yankees’ five home runs as New York salvaged a fourgame series split with a 9-1 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
Soto had his fourth multi-homer game this season since coming over in a December trade and 21st of his career. He hit a solo homer into the third deck in right field in the seventh inning and added a three-run homer in the eighth and now has 25 on the season.
Soto went 11-for-18 in the series, including a four-hit game on Friday.
Odds and ends
Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen will not be with the team during its series in Colorado due to health issues. Jansen said after Sunday’s 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that doctors had to “shock his heart back into rhythm” after three previous trips to Colorado. … Dodgers righthander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is hopeful of returning this season, even though there isn’t a timeline on when that might happen.