MLB Player News

Miller is not in the lineup Friday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Having hit just .190/.227/.381 over the last seven games, Miller has been in a bit a slump. However, things were starting to improve for him, as he'd managed to collect a hit and score a run in each of the Rays' last three outings. He'll sit out Friday night and give way to Daniel Robertson at second base.

Goins is out of the lineup Thursday against Kansas City, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Goins heads to the bench in favor of Darwin Barney after starting the past three contests. Since the beginning of September, Goins is hitting just .224/.281/.310 with one home run and four RBI.

Brantley (ankle) will remain shut down from all running activity for another 7-to-10 days, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

A recent visit to a foot and ankle specialist yielded a more definitive diagnosis; Brantley has a deltoid ligament sprain in addition to right ankle synovitis. He will be re-evaluated in a week or so. Brantley's not going to be ready in time to help fantasy players, but there's still a chance he could return in the postseason if the Indians make a deep enough run. The 30-year-old fared well when on the field, hitting .299/.358/.445, but he's been limited to just 99 games over the past two seasons due to injuries.

Miller went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Cubs.

Miller's 422-foot shot to center in the sixth represented the only run of the night for the Rays and served as his first round tripper since Aug. 29. Miller was just 1-for-12 over his previous four games, and despite Tuesday's blast, he's still slashing just .175/.283/.275 in September.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's loss to the Athletics.

Even with the three hits, Cabrera is still hitting just .249. The 34-year-old has only batted below .300 in a season once in his career, and that was in 2008 when he posted a .292 mark. Cabrera has dealt with a variety of injuries this year, so he could bounce back in 2018 with better health. However, at this stage in his career, it wouldn't be too surprising if Cabrera's overall production continued to decline.

Cabrera (back) is in the lineup Monday against the A's.

After missing Sunday's outing due to a tight back, Cabrera is in the lineup Monday. He'll slot in at the DH spot and hit third against Jharel Cotton and the A's. Over his last seven games, Cabrera has gone just 5-for-24 (.208) and struck out seven times.

Team president Chris Antonetti said there is still no clarity on whether Michael Brantley (ankle) will return this season, The Associated Press reports.

Brantley was sidelined on Aug. 9 with a sprained ankle, and recovery has moved slower than expected. Though the injury was initially thought to be minor, it's become apparent the outfielder's ailment is a more serious than what was originally diagnosed. Until Brantley is ready to return, Austin Jackson and Brandon Guyer will continue splitting the extra at-bats.

Cabrera (back) is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox.

Cabrera left Saturday's game in the fifth inning with back tightness and will be held out of the lineup Sunday due to the issue. At this point in time, there's yet to be any word regarding the severity of the ailment, but more information should be available soon. Efren Navarro will start a first base and hit fifth with Cabrera out.

Cabrera was prematurely lifted from Saturday's game against the White Sox with lower-back tightness, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cabrera has dealt with back discomfort all season, and it cropped up again Saturday. He was 0-for-2 and looked uncomfortable before John Hicks replaced him at first base at the start of the fifth inning. He's listed as day-to-day.

Miller is out of Friday's lineup against the Red Sox.

The Rays face lefty Chris Sale so they will go with a righty-heavy lineup. Danny Espinosa, a switch hitter, will start at second base and hit ninth.