MLB Player News

Canha went 2-for-4 with a run in a win over the Rangers on Friday.

The versatile Canha drew the start in center field in place of Ramon Laureano and delivered at the plate for the second time in as many nights. Canha was on base four times Thursday, and his multi-hit effort Friday makes him 3-for-7 with three walks and two runs over his current two-start stint.

Choi went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Red Sox on Friday.

Choi's June surge continued in impressive fashion Friday, as he generated his third two-hit effort over the last four games. The 28-year-old has hit half of his six homers in the last 12 games, a possible sign he may be starting to pick up some steam on the power front. He's also steadily boosted all three components of his season line since May 22, a 15-game stretch during which he's slashed .321/.403/.528 across 62 plate appearances.

Jimenez went 1-for-4 in a 6-4 loss to the Royals on Friday.

Jimenez has hit in three straight games (all singles), just the third time this season he's strung together such a streak. The rookie outfielder isn't making much of an impact for the White Sox with six home runs, 14 RBI and a .383 slugging percentage in 38 games. He talked to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times about feeling the pressure to produce: "When you come in as a rookie, you want to do great. Not good, great," he said. "And sometimes it doesn't work like that right away. That's why I say I have to be patient. I know good things are going to come." One area of improvement is patience at the plate; he has to stop chasing breaking balls outside the zone.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Twins.

It's his second three-hit effort in his last three games, snapping Cabrera out of a 1-for-16 mini-skid. The veteran slugger is still hitting for a solid batting average at .295, but his .386 slugging percentage is the worst mark of his illustrious career and he has just three homers in 57 games. He's tantalizingly close to 500 for his career -- Cabrera's sitting at 468 home runs, tying him with Chipper Jones at 34th on the all-time list -- but it's looking increasingly unlikely that he'll be able to reach the milestone.

Martinez (back) is not starting Friday against the Rays, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Martinez left Thursday's game with back spasms and will sit for at least one more game. He's already battled back issues on two previous occasions during the regular season and another time during spring training, though he hasn't yet needed a trip to the injured list. Eduardo Nunez will be the designated hitter Friday.

Canha went 1-for-1 with three walks and a run in a win over the Angels on Thursday.

The veteran drew the start at first base over Matt Olson with southpaw Tyler Skaggs on the hill for the Angels, and he served as a thorn in the side of Angles pitching throughout the contest. Canha had only logged a pair of pinch-hit at-bats in the first four games of June prior to Thursday, as the return of Khris Davis to the lineup following his recovery from a hip injury has served to make Canha the odd man out in Oakland's 1B/DH mix.

Soler went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI on Thursday against the Red Sox.

Soler took Marcus Walden deep in the fifth inning to record his 16th homer of the season. One of the more surprising sources of power early on, Soler shows no signs of slowing, mashing five homers in his last 11 games. While he's getting base at just a .291 clip, he ranks among the top-10 in the American League in both homers and RBI through 62 games.

Buxton is not in the lineup Thursday against the Indians, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton will get what appears to be a regular day off following a string of 11 consecutive starts during which he slashed .265/.286/.647 with three homers, 10 RBI and two stolen bases. In his absence, Max Kepler is covering center field and hitting leadoff, with Marwin Gonzalez getting a start in right field as a result.

Martinez was removed from Thursday's game against the Royals due to back spasms, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Martinez was 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored prior to exiting the game in the fifth inning. Sam Travis pinch hit for Martinez, who should be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's series opener against the Rays.

Choi is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi will head to the bench along with fellow lefty-hitting lineup regular Brandon Lowe with Detroit bringing southpaw Daniel Norris to the bump for the series finale. With the Rays recently demoting Nate Lowe to Triple-A Durham, Choi looks secure for the time being in a strong-side platoon role at either first base or designated hitter.