MLB Player News

Lewis is still dealing with knee soreness, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

Lewis was placed on the minor-league DL with soreness in his right knee in mid-June, and is still being hampered by the injury. He played a few games for Rookie-level Arizona during the previous week while on a rehab assignment, but the team will be cautious with their star prospect moving forward.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester and is starting Friday against the Orioles.

Just days after he was sent packing, Vargas has returned, replacing Joe Mauer (back) on the active roster. He will man first base and bat fifth Friday against right-hander Kevin Gausman, but it's uncertain how much time Vargas will see in the immediate future. Miguel Sano has made a couple starts at first base recently, which has allowed the team to fit both Eduardo Escobar and Jorge Polanco into the lineup.

Miller (groin) was activated off the 10-day disabled list prior to Friday's game against Boston, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller has been out since early June with a groin strain, but looked healthy during his five rehab appearances, including a 2-for-4 game with a home run in Wednesday's Triple-A Durham outing. He is back in the lineup at second while batting sixth against the Red Sox on Friday, and should get a majority of the starts at the position, especially with Tim Beckham landing on the DL (ankle) prior to the game.

Miller (groin) was scratched from Triple-A Durham's lineup Thursday, meaning it's likely he'll be activated either Friday or Saturday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The likelihood of the move is made even greater by Tim Beckham's persistent ankle woes, which led to his absence from Thursday's contest against the Red Sox and could well keep him out through the All-Star break. Miller has been hitting well in his rehab and went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Triple-A Durham's win over Charlotte on Wednesday.

Ford is dealing with hamstring tightness and will be further evaluated Friday, Conor Foley of The Times-Tribune reports.

The club is hoping that Ford will not require a stint on the disabled list, but manager Al Pedrique added that the 25-year-old first baseman is dealing with significant hamstring tightness. Ford has adjusted well to Triple-A pitching since being promoted, slashing .282/.417/.692 with eight extra base hits in 39 at-bats.

Brantley was named to the American League All-Star team after being voted in by the players, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Next week's affair in Miami will be Brantley's second All-Star Game, but this one comes with a different narrative. He made his first appearance in 2014, a year in which he won the Silver Slugger Award. This season, the veteran outfielder's numbers are borderline All-Star worthy, but his remarkable comeback from last year's injury-shortened campaign is deserving of the spotlight. Entering Wednesday, Brantley was hitting .297 with five home runs, 31 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Cabrera (hip) is in Wednesday's lineup against the Giants, Chris McCosky of Detroit News reports.

Cabrera left Tuesday's game due to hip tightness, but will not miss any time as he's slotted into his normal position at first base while batting third. Although Cabrera landed on the disabled list earlier this year due to the same injury, he appears ready to go for Wednesday's contest as the Tigers match up against right-hander Ty Blach.

Miller (groin) will likely be activated sometime this weekend, depending on how he feels after Wednesday's rehab game, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller has been steadily moving closer to a return and all signs indicate he'll be back in the lineup just before the All-Star break. The slick middle infielder has had his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Durham, where the Rays hope he can see more action at second base as he works his way back from a right groin strain that's sidelined him since early June. Miller has played in just 42 games this season due multiple DL stints.

Choi is starting at first base and batting seventh for Wednesday's matinee game against the Blue Jays.

Choi will make his first major-league start since 2016 after having his contract selected by the Yankees on Tuesday. The 26-year-old is the latest option at first base in place of the ailing Tyler Austin (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (illness), though his audition may be a temporary one. Choi hit just .170/.271/.339 over 54 games with the Angels last season, but has shown flashes of improvement in Triple-A this year, batting .289 with 43 RBI.

Buxton went 3-for-4 with his fifth home run and 15th stolen base as well as two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Angels.

Buxton hit just .184 with a .524 OPS in June, and he's generally struggled to keep his batting average above .200. He's hitting .357 (5-for-14) so far in July, raising his average to .204. Buxton has been a disappointment at the plate this season thanks to his two terrible months (he also had a .433 OPS in April), but he's at least contributing stolen bases. He's also offering outstanding glove work in center field, as he's the top fielder in the game by defensive WAR.