MLB Player News

Brantley went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the White Sox.

It had been 581 days since the embattled outfielder hit his last MLB home run in September of 2015. Brantley extended his RBI streak to four games Thursday while making it his sixth game in eight starts this year with a run driven in. It should be noted that the 29-year-old also struck out twice against the South Siders, raising Brantley's strikeout rate to 31 percent through 29 at-bats.

For the second straight night, Goins entered as a late-game defensive replacement at third base, but did not receive an at-bat, in Thursday's contest against Baltimore.

The biggest news of the night is that the Jays' regular third baseman, Josh Donaldson, exited the affair early after reaggrevating his right calf injury. Donaldson has already missed time this season due to the calf issue, and now he faces a real possibility of being placed on the DL. Under that circumstance, Goins would move up the depth chart. And although Darwin Barney is likely to fill in for Donaldson on most nights, Goins would become the club's super-utility man and would certainly see an uptick in playing time under that circumstance.

Lewis (knee) took swings off a tee for the first time since knee surgery Thursday, Lewis said on Twitter.

It's good to see the Mariners' top prospect return to baseball activities, as it seems like his rehab is going as planned. Lewis still has a ways to go in his recovery, but at this point in time, he still seems to be on pace for a mid-July return.

Tigers general manager Al Avila said Martinez (foot) "should be playing in games in the next few days," MLB Network Radio reports.

The team previously said that Martinez likely won't require a full 20-day rehab assignment, so if he starts rehabbing soon, he could be back with the Tigers before the end of the month. His return will cut into the playing time of Tyler Collins and Mikie Mahtook, and it could possibly send JaCoby Jones to Triple-A for regular at-bats.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Cabrera will get his first rest day of the season soon, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Cabrera is in Thursday's lineup against Twins starter Phil Hughes, who he's hitting .432/.457/1.000 against in his career with six home runs. However, look for the slugger to likely get a day off during the upcoming weekend series in Cleveland.

Buxton is in the Twins' lineup Thursday, batting ninth and playing center field.

Flyball pitcher Phil Hughes takes the mound on Thursday, which probably prompted Minnesota to reinsert the struggling Buxton for defensive purposes after only a one-day breather. The experiment of hitting him third likely was ill-advised and looks to be over, as they hope he'll fix the struggles he displayed during his 2-for-29 start (with 17 strikeouts) with less pressure on him. There's still plenty to like about the 23-year-old's season-long -- and career -- potential, but he'll need to climb out of this hole to increase the optimism over his fantasy value.

Soler (oblique) is expected to take batting practice this weekend, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

An oblique strain forced Soler to the DL to begin the 2017 season, but he's seemingly close to beginning a rehab assignment. Perhaps the Royals will assign Soler to a minor-league affiliate early next week if all goes well this weekend. Soler struggled during spring training (7-for-49 with 18 strikeouts), but he's expected to have an everyday job in right field waiting for him upon activation.

Goins went 0-for-2 with a walk and struck out once in his first start of the season Tuesday against Milwaukee.

Nearly every Blue Jays player had seen their name grace the starting lineup before the team returned home from a six-game road trip to start the season. Everybody except for Goins, that is. The utility man has carved out a niche as a late-game defensive substitute, but offers little in terms of offensive production. It would take a slew of injuries for Goins to become relevant in any fantasy format.

Manager Brad Ausmus said Tuesday that he does not expect Martinez (foot) will need a full 20-day rehab assignment, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers are not providing a timetable for Martinez's return to action, but the fact that they are talking about a rehab assignments speaks to the outfielder's progress. Ausmus said Martinez is progressing "extremely well," having advanced to regular batting practice Monday. The biggest tests -- namely running and cutting in the outfield -- still await, but a return before the end of the month seems well within the realm of possibility.

Buxton is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Eddie Rosario will start in center field against right-hander Michael Fulmer. Buxton has looked completely lost at the dish early on this season, going 2-for-29 with 17 strikeouts to one walk. A recent move down in the batting order (down to the eight-hole) hasn't helped matters. While the 23-year-old has flashed brilliance on the defensive side, and the team has every incentive to let him learn on the job, Buxton will need to show some signs of improvement to justify a regular spot in the lineup.