MLB Player News

Brantley (ankle) is not in the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays.

This comes as no surprise, as Brantley exited Sunday's contest against the Royals with a sprained ankle and is expected to miss at least a day or two. While the sprain isn't thought to be anything overly serious, the Indians will tread cautiously with the 30-year-old after he only played in 11 games last season due to injuries. With an off day coming up Thursday, it wouldn't be too surprising to see the Indians hold him out until then to afford him some extra rest. The recently recalled Yandy Diaz will draw the start in left field for the game.

Indians manager Terry Francona said Brantley's injury is not considered overly serious and shouldn't cost him more than "a day or two," Robert Falkoff of MLB.com reports.

A collective "Phew!" could be heard across the fantasy world thanks to the skipper's post-game comments. "It's not the dreaded high-ankle sprain," Francona said. "He hit first [base] hard. Hopefully, it's a day or two." Brantley, who played just 11 games last season before injuries shelved him for good, is off to a strong start to 2017. He's hitting .283/.343/.475 with five home runs, 17 RBI and 15 runs through his first 26 games. Owners in weekly formats may want to think about sitting Brantley before rosters lock Monday. Even though Francona mentioned a short timeline, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Brantley gets a few extra days to rest, as the club was already -- even before Sunday's injury -- being very cautious with the 30-year-old.

Miller was hitless in four at-bats in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays and is now 2-for-32 over the last 11 games.

The only two hits for Miller during that span came in an April 30 contest against the Blue Jays, and his average is down to .190 following Sunday's game. The veteran infielder's struggles are somewhat mystifying, as his hard contact rate is up to a career-high 38.2 percent, including 36.8 percent during his current slump. His one saving grace has been a .362 OBP that's largely a byproduct of a career-high 20.5 percent walk rate. While his patience at the plate has been a positive, his lack of production, particularly in the power department, has to be of increasing concern.

Vargas went 1-for-3 with his third home run of the season in Sunday's loss to Boston.

He's been splitting time at designated hitter with Robbie Grossman, but Vargas got a start Sunday at first base. Vargas has been hot since he was called up from Triple-A Rochester (.294/.324/.588). Expect the Twins to continue to find ways to keep him in the lineup.

Brantley exited Sunday's game against the Royals early with a sprained right ankle, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Brantley was hitless in his two at-bats before being forced to exit the game in the fifth inning. The veteran outfielder has an injury-plagued past but is off to a healthy, productive start to the 2017 season. It'd be a big blow to the Indians if Brantley ends up on the disabled list, though the severity of the sprain is not yet known. We'll await further details from the Indians on that front.

Martinez (foot) will move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Martinez had just started picking up reps in the outfield and is now ready to step up the level of competition after homering for High-A Lakeland on Saturday. According to manager Brad Ausmus, Martinez could be activated at some point during the upcoming four-game weekend series against the Angels. How he responds to Triple-A pitching will likely be a determining factor in his eventual return date.

Buxton (concussion) is back in the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton has missed back-to-back starts since being lifted from Thursday's game after a collision with the outfield wall, but he has passed concussion tests for multiple days and will now return to action. He'll bat eighth in the order for the series finale.

Martinez (foot) played seven innings in right field and went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's game with High-A Lakeland, Evan Woodbery of MLive reports.

Picking up playing time in the outfield was one of the final hurdles for Martinez, and it seems like everything went off without a hitch Saturday. The Tigers may opt to have their slugging right fielder play a couple more rehab games in the outfield just to get more exposure prior to a return to the big leagues, but a full return appears to be on the horizon. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports that Detroit plans to have Martinez move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, after which a timetable for his return to the majors should become evident.

Buxton (head) said that he passed a concussion test for the third day in a row and was available off the bench Saturday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

While he passed the concussion test, he was still experiencing headaches, so he may not be out of the woods just yet. Consider him questionable for Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox.

Miller is starting at second base and hitting in the two-hole Saturday against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

With Kevin Kiermaier dealing with a hand bruise and moved down to the eighth spot, Miller moves up from his regular role in the middle of the order. Perhaps the small change can spark a surge at the plate, where he is 2-for-15 over the past week with eight walks.