MLB Player News

Canha will receive playing time in center field Friday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

The surprise 2015 breakout star wilted in 2016 but will scrape together platoon at-bats at least to start 2017, and throwing him into the center field fire may be a way to expand his contributions, including those for fantasy players in AL-only leagues.

Goins hit leadoff and went 1-for-3 in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

After going hitless through his first 12 at-bats of the spring season, the utility infielder has now managed a hit in his last three games. With Darwin Barney ahead of him on the depth chart, Goins -- who is out of minor-league options -- entered camp seemingly destined to be designated for assignment. However, with the Jays' starting second baseman, Devon Travis (knee), possibly beginning the season on the disabled list, Goins has a legitimate shot of being added to the 25-man Opening Day roster, thus avoiding being exposed to waivers.

Martinez is focused on improving his defense in 2017 after a down year in the field last season, MLB.com reports.

While defense doesn't immediately impact Martinez's fantasy value, it could affect his value in free agency next offseason. His defensive metrics all went down in 2016, but if he looks good in the field and at the plate in 2017, he could be in for a significant payday. Confidence also counts for something, so if Martinez is excelling in the field, it could carry over to his at-bats.

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.