MLB Player News

Vogelbach went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a run in Sunday's 5-4 Cactus League loss to the A's.

The first baseman brought home Guillermo Heredia with a two-bagger to deep center in the third, knotting the score at 2-2 at the time. It was both the second double and RBI of the spring for the 24-year-old, who's slashing .350/.381/.450 over 20 at-bats this spring. Vogelbach, who is projected to serve as the left-handed side of a platoon at first with veteran Danny Valencia in the coming season, looks significantly improved at the plate this spring after generating an .083/.154/.083 line over 13 plate appearances with the big league club in 2016.

Brantley (shoulder) is scheduled to face Josh Tomlin in live batting practice Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley continues to move through spring without an estimated timetable for his return, as the Indians are trying to keep him from feeling pressured to rush his rehab. He'll face live pitching for the first time this spring, and if all goes well, Brantley will be one step closer to making his Cactus League debut.

Canha went 2-for-3 with an RBI single and double in Sunday's 5-4 Cactus League win over the Mariners.

Canha's solid spring continued Sunday, with the outfielder driving home Ryon Healy with a single to deep right center in the first for his second RBI of spring. Factoring in Sunday's production, the 28-year-old is slashing .333/.375/.533 with three doubles over 15 at-bats across six games. With platoon mate Matt Joyce (.400/.500/1.000 over 10 at-bats) also thriving thus far, the A's appear to be in excellent shape in right field for the coming campaign.

Buxton is hitting just 2-for-12 this spring, but he has just two strikeouts and two walks.

Buxton appears set to begin the season as the starter in center field, but it's not clear where he'll bat in the order. He hit leadoff in Saturday's game that featured most regulars, but the young outfielder hit ninth much of last season. His September power surge (10 homers and a 1.011 OPS) may indicate he's a better fit for the middle of the lineup despite his speed. Despite his slow start to the spring, there's a silver lining with his strikeout rate, as he whiffed in 35.6 percent of his plate appearances last season. Buxton will need to command the strike zone better to finally have a breakout season.

Brantley (shoulder) took batting practice on back-to-back days for the first time this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley has yet to hit live pitching, but his increased activity is promising. The Indians haven't set an estimated return for Brantley, who played in just 11 games during the 2016 season, as they're aiming to keep him from feeling pressured to rush his rehab. However, the club has remained optimistic that he should be able to play in a Cactus League game at some point this spring.

Soler went 0-for-2 against the Cubs on Wednesday and is now 0-for-8 with two walks through four spring games. "They're just getting their timing down," manager Ned Yost told the Kansas City Star. "I don't really think too much about it until about the halfway point."

Soler's getting a chance to sit back and observe Thursday, with Alex Gordon taking over in right field and Brandon Moss in left. He was hit by a pitch on the shoulder in his first at-bat against his former team Wednesday, but Soler stayed in the game and there has been nothing to suggest his absence Thursday is related. The 25-year-old Soler is expected to open the season in an everyday role after coming over from Chicago in a December trade, playing primarily in right field but perhaps seeing occasional time in left.

Brantley (shoulder) took batting practice on the field Monday, Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 in Cleveland reports.

Brantley took batting practice indoors over the weekend, marking a milestone is his rehab after he'd been previously restricted to playing soft toss. This is another small step in the right direction for Brantley, though his availability for Opening Day still remains in jeopardy.

Martinez (pectoral) will man right field and bat in the cleanup spot in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves.

Martinez was only sidelined a couple of days with pectoral tightness, and his reentry into the lineup indicates he's fully recovered from the issue. Even though an injury-plagued 2016 season dinged his final numbers, Martinez still profiles as one of the game's top power bats. His .908 OPS last season was actually superior to what he provided in 2015, when he smacked a career-high 38 homers.

Canha went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and walk in Sunday's 5-3 Cactus League loss to the Angels.

Canha brought home Eric Young, Jr. and Alejandro De Aza in the third with a double to left, drawing the A's even with the Angels at 1-1 at the time. The right fielder, who'll platoon with offseason acquisition Matt Joyce this season, hit out of the two-hole Sunday and has looked strong this spring after missing the majority of 2016 with a hip injury.

Vogelbach went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles in Saturday's 13-3 Cactus League victory over the Padres.

The 24-year-old is vying to platoon with lefty masher Danny Valencia at first base this season, and got his spring off to a strong start with Saturday's effort. Vogelbach packs plenty of power on his 6-foot, 250-pound frame, and worked all offseason to sharpen his defensive skills in anticipation of his expected role in 2017.