MLB Player News

Brantley (shoulder) will undergo season-ending surgery Monday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal reports.

Brantley visited with a doctor earlier in the week who confirmed he's dealing with a tear in his biceps. The hope was that rest would be enough to allow Brantley to heal to the point that he could play through the ailment toward the end of the season, but he'll now opt for surgery, ending his 2016 campaign after just 11 major league games. The 29-year-old will turn his attention toward rehabbing in advance of the 2017 season.

Choi is out of the lineup for Friday's contest against Cleveland.

Choi will get a regular day off after starting the past three games and seven of the previous eight for the Angels. In his place, Shane Robinson takes over in left while batting ninth.

Miller's career-high 20 homers in 2016 have mostly been over 400 feet, his most extensive power display at any level in his career, Sam Blum of MLB.com reports. "He's got really good hands. He's really strong," Rays hitting coach Derek Shelton said. "What he does with his contact point and where he gets the ball is what enables him to hit the ball hard and get the ball elevated."

Miller has particularly been on a tear over the last two months, during which he's blasted 15 of his 20 round-trippers. The distance on those homers has notably shot up when compared that of the 11 he managed for the Mariners in 2015, which averaged 391 feet with an average exit velocity of 102.8 mph according to Statcast. Those figures have seen a boost to 415 feet and 105.8 mph in 2016, with the former number placing him fifth in the majors behind the likes of sluggers Carlos Gonzalez, Giancarlo Stanton, Trevor Story and Nelson Cruz. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the has managed to nearly double his HR/FB rate from the 10.3 percent he managed in 2015, currently knocking 20 percent of the pitches he puts in the air out of the park. Although the overall power numbers are certainly a revelation, the Rays were aware they were getting a player with the ability to make hard contact consistently when they acquired Miller, a trait that is keeping him in the lineup despite the recent displacement from his natural shortstop position due to the imminent arrival of newly acquired Matt Duffy. "We did have a lot of confidence and were very optimistic about his bat and his overall play," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "And we've seen that. The actual home run numbers, I think you could say are a little bit of a surprise. He hadn't done that before. I don't know if he's ever hit 20 home runs anywhere."

Brantley's recent consultation with doctors confirmed the diagnosis of biceps tendinitis, MLB.com reports.

The Indians plan on having a clearer path on the next steps for Brantley in the coming days but at this point things aren't trending in a positive direction. A return date when rosters expand in September appears to be the best case scenario at this point.

Vargas went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in the first game of Thursday's double-header against the Astros.

Vargas has been impressive since getting called up on July 4, and kept it going Thursday afternoon by putting his name in the team's record books. He hit a solo homer off Doug Fister in the second while batting left-handed before hitting a two-run homer off lefty Tony Sipp in the eighth batting right-handed. Vargas joins Roy Smalley, Chili Davis and Ryan Doumit as the only Twins to homer from both sides of the plate in one game. The 26-year-old continues seeing spot work this month, but his 1.041 OPS through 77 at-bat's makes Vargas a must-start when he's in the lineup.

Reed is out of the lineup for Thursday's second game against the Twins.

Reed was in the DH spot for the first game, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored in the win over Minnesota. He will spend the second game on the bench, as Jose Altuve takes over at DH while Tyler White mans first.

Martinez went 3-for-7 with his 14th homer of the year in Tuesday's 15-inning loss to the Mariners.

Martinez hasn't missed a beat since returning to the lineup, and has put together 13 multi-hit efforts in a remarkable 20-game stretch dating back to before his elbow injury. Reaching last season's mark of 38 long balls was always going to be a tall order for the 28-year-old right fielder even if he stayed healthy, but topping 20 for a third straight season is still a very achievable goal despite the six-week layoff.

Cabrera went 3-for-6 with a homer, a walk and two RBI in Tuesday's 15-inning loss to Seattle.

Cabrera reached in his first four appearances of this marathon contest, but faded down the stretch. The veteran marked a three-year high with his 26th homer of the season, and has been on a power binge of late with seven long balls in the last 13 games. He continues to be among baseball's elite bats with a .311/384/.551 line at age 33.

Brantley has been diagnosed with a reoccurence of biceps tendinitis, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The Tribe recently sent Brantley to New York for a follow-up exam after he reportedly hit a wall in his attempt to ramp up his rehab program. Brantley underwent a procedure last month to remove scar tissue from his surgically-repaired shoulder, and it's uncertain how long he'll remain shut down following this setback. At this point, it would be a surprise if Brantley made it back before rosters expand, if at all this season.

Miller was error-free in his first game at first base Monday and also went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run against the Blue Jays, Bill Chastain of the team's offical site reports.

The converted shortstop found success both in the field and in the batter's box, plating Logan Forsythe and Evan Longoria with a game-tying two-bagger in the fifth and blasting another double as well. Miller was also smooth at first, scooping up a hard shot from Josh Donaldson in the first and recording the out himself and successfully holding several runners at first in conjunction with starter Jake Odorizzi. The 26-year-old reported being relatively comfortable in those situations, and found that positioning himself correctly on balls hit away from him was a more challenging aspect of his new infield spot. "I think the thing for me that was a little uncomfortable was when the ball went into the outfield and things started going in motion," Miller said. "You react from where you're comfortable at, and I had to really think about where I needed to be. That was something a couple of times I just have to be in a better spot. Those were the ones that were a little tough." Miller is still expected to start some games at his natural position during the rest of the season, but shortstop will primarily be manned by the newly-acquired Matt Duffy once he returns from his DL stint due to an Achilles injury.