Alvarez went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts Saturday against the Brewers.

He's mired in a 5-for-35 slump that has pushed his batting average down to .230. His .717 OPS is at its lowest point since May 13. Alvarez also leads the NL with 15 errors, the highest number since Prince Fielder totaled 15 in 2011 (for an entire season).

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

Alvarez had started nine straight games before Sunday, so he could just be getting some rest and starting his All-Star break early. Platoon advantage is also likely a factor, as the right-handed Sean Rodriguez will take over first base against the left-handed Tim Cooney.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's win over Cleveland.

The homer, Alvarez's second in four games and 12th of the season, put the Pirates on the board against Danny Salazar in the fifth inning. He had just one homer in 68 June at-bats.

Alvarez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Tigers.

Alvarez typically sits against left-handers, and Thursday will be no different with southpaw Kyle Ryan on the mound for Detroit. Sean Rodriguez will take over at first base, getting his second straight start after Alvarez served as the DH Wednesday.

Alvarez collected two hits Wednesday, hitting a double and a long home run against the Tigers.

The dinger was his first since June 10 and second in 97 plate appearances. Alvarez hit .250/.320/.368 in 68 June at-bats. Fantasy owners have to hope Wednesday represents the beginning of one of Alvarez's patented hot streaks.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Sunday against Atlanta.

With left-hander Alex Wood on the hill for the Braves, Alvarez will take a seat on the bench while Sean Rodriguez gets the start at first. Alvarez is hitting just .167 versus lefties on the season.

Alvarez had two hits Saturday, including a two-run double against the Braves.

He also was credited with his first stolen base of the season. The double was just his third extra-base hit in his last 28 games. Considering Alvarez's defense is sub-par, Pittsburgh needs more consistent slugging from its first baseman, who has 10 homers and 34 RBI.

Alvarez is batting .197/.258/.295 since May 28 (in 66 PA) with one homer and five RBI.

The Pirates can live with his league-leading eight errors among all first basemen, but only when his offensive production warrants. Alvarez has been the subject of trade rumors -- he'll be eligible for free agency after 2016, but a move most likely won't happen until the offseason. In the meantime, fantasy owners have to hope he gets on one of his patented hot streaks as Pittsburgh begins a six-game homestand Tuesday. For the season, he's batting .231 (identical to 2014) with 10 homers and 28 RBI.

Alvarez is out of Sunday's lineup against the Nationals, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Alvarez has gone 0-for-6 over the last two contests, and will get the day off Sunday with the left-handed Gio Gonzalez on the mound for the Nationals. Corey Hart will start at first base in his place, batting seventh for the Pirates.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 Thursday in his first start since June 13.

The Pirates have faced a plethora of left-handed pitching in recent days and manager Clint Hurdle has seen fit to give his first baseman time off. The move worked, as Alvarez came through with a big game Thursday, including a clutch single off southpaw Zach Duke in the eighth inning when Pittsburgh took the lead.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Wednesday, ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla reports.

With the Pirates facing their third lefty in as many days, Alvarez gets another day off. Corey Hart will start at first base, but look for Alvarez to be available as a pinch-hitter in the right matchup.

Alvarez is not in the lineup for the third straight day Tuesday.

Pittsburgh continues to shy away from lefty vs. lefty matchups, so Alvarez will take a seat against Tuesday with southpaw Jose Quintana on the mound for the White Sox. Jung Ho Kang will start at third base with Sean Rodriguez at first.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox.

The Pirates have increasingly shied away from using their left-handed batters against lefty pitchers, relegating Alvarez, Gregory Polanco and even Neil Walker to platoon roles. The stance may be softened a bit this week, with the Pirates also scheduled to face southpaws Tuesday and Wednesday. It's also quite possible Alvarez won't rejoin the lineup until Thursday.

Alvarez is not in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

Alvarez has made five straight starts at first base, but will get the day off in favor of the right-handed Corey Hart on Sunday afternoon. Alvarez is 1-for-7 with five strikeouts in his career versus Sunday's starter, Cole Hamels, so the benching makes sense from a matchup standpoint. In fact, manager Clint Hurdle will use a lineup composed entirely of right-handed hitters.

Alvarez (undisclosed) is back in Friday's lineup against the Phillies.

Alvarez exited Wednesday's game with an undisclosed injury, but the injury appears to have been minor. He'll once again start at first base and bat sixth for the Pirates on Friday against the Phillies and starter Kevin Correia.

Alvarez (undisclosed) was removed from Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Alvarez was lifted in favor of Sean Rodriguez after going 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the contest. Look for the Pirates to update his status following the game. They have a team off day Thursday, so provided the ailment is minor, he should be available for Friday's series opener against the Phillies.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Braves, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

Alvarez will get the day off after making nine straight starts at first base, giving way to Sean Rodriguez for the afternoon contest. With left-hander Alex Wood set to take the hill for the opposing Braves, manager Clint Hurdle will use a lineup composed entirely of right-handed bats.

Alvarez is 4-for-13 with a homer and two walks against Wednesday starter Tim Hudson.

The first baseman beat another shift Tuesday with an opposite-field, two-run single. Alvarez, who has nine homers and 27 RBI, holds a .785 OPS in 182 plate appearances -- a number more in line with his 2012 and 2013 campaigns than his disappointing 2014.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a two-run single Friday in San Diego.

He beat the shift again with a dribbler past a vacated shortstop spot. Alvarez has done well since settling into the sixth spot of the batting order, hitting .280/.325/.561 with eight homers and 19 RBI in 107 at-bats. His defense at first base remains a work in progress.

Alvarez hit a game-tying, pinch-hit single to left field Wednesday against the Marlins.

For the third straight game, he collected an opposite-field hit. Alvarez's .814 OPS in 137 at-bats also represents his best mark in six seasons. He holds an 18:37 BB:K ratio, better than the 48:186 mark of two years ago. All signals point toward a strong campaign from the first baseman, who has nine homers and 22 RBI, but predicting Alvarez's path has never been easy.