MLB Player News

Martinez (foot) is starting at designated hitter for Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Martinez is 0-for-11 on his rehab assignment with the Mud Hens, but he homered for High-A Lakeland on Saturday. The masher's progress makes him likely to return to the majors within the next week.

Miller isn't included in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Miller has looked lost at the dish lately with a 5-for-45 (.111 average) over the Rays' past 14 games, so it appears manager Kevin Cash is giving the infielder a day off to hit the reset button. Even before this tailspin, Miller had been batting .247, and has yet to tap into the power that aided him to a breakout campaign in 2016. Miller is still a good bet to hold down an everyday role at second base for the foreseeable future, but if he fails to show much improvement, he could lose out on some reps to Tim Beckham once Matt Duffy (Achilles) returns from the disabled list, likely at some point later this month.

Colon was designated for assignment by the Royals on Wednesday.

Since the start of the season, Colon has appeared in just seven games and gone 3-for-17 (.176) at the plate. In a corresponding move, the Royals selected Al Alburquerque's contract from Triple-A Omaha.

Brantley (ankle) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

As expected, Brantley is not starting Wednesday. The Indians have Thursday off, so Brantley will aim to return to action for Friday's outing against Minnesota. With Brantley out, Yandy Diaz will get the nod to start in left field.

Vargas went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run, his fourth of the season, in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the White Sox.

The homer was his second in as many days and third in the last six games to go along with nine RBI, but Vargas only has five hits and an awkward .238/.227/.714 slash line over that stretch. His power surge has moved him into a nearly full-time role as the Twins' DH, but he'll need to solidify his overall performance in order to keep the job.

Miller went 1-for-5 with his second homer and a walk in Tuesday's loss to the Royals.

With 28 walks, Miller and Bryce Harper are tied for the MLB lead. The only difference between the two is, of course, that Harper's hitting .370 with 10 homers, while Miller's languishing at .193 with two homers. There was no reasonably expecting him to duplicate last season's 30 long balls, but Miller's regression shouldn't be nearly this sharp -- he could still heat up and smack 20-plus, though batting average will always be a concern.

Canha was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.

Canha opened the season as the Athletics' primary reserve outfielder but was eventually optioned to Triple-A after a slow start at the plate. With Jaff Decker scuffling at the plate of late, the A's decided to designate Decker for assignment and give Canha another opportunity to hold down the backup outfield role.

Brantley (ankle) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

This comes as no surprise, as Brantley was seen in a walking boot Monday. While manager Terry Francona initially slapped an optimistic "day or two" timeline on the injury, it's looking like a realistic return date for Brantley would be Friday's series opener against the Twins, after the Indians' off day Thursday.

Soler is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After missing the first 28 games of the season with an oblique injury, Soler is hitless in three starts since being activated from the disabled list (0-for-11). He'll head to the bench to clear his mind as Jorge Bonifacio draws the start in right field.

Brantley (ankle) was wearing a protective boot on Monday and likely won't play in the current series against Toronto, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Manager Terry Francona provided an optimistic "day or two" timeline to open the week, but that's unlikely to hold true. A Friday activation for the weekend series against Minnesota is looking like the best possible outcome for Brantley. Yandy Diaz, who was called up Monday after hitting .395 with Triple-A Columbus, will pick up the available at-bats in the interim.