MLB Player News

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.

Cabrera was hit by a pitch in the arm during Saturday's spring training game against Houston but stayed in the contest, MLive.com reports.

If there were even a hint of an injury, Cabrera would have likely been pulled, so there doesn't seem to be any cause for concern here. Cabrera will continue to work in camp with the Tigers until he plays for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic next month.

Martinez was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League game with pectoral tightness, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The move is likely precautionary. Martinez is expected to once again be a big part of the offense, so the Tigers won't risk any health issues in spring training. Juan Perez will take over in right field. Consider Martinez day-to-day unless something changes.

Miller, who went 0-for-3 in Friday's 3-1 Grapefruit League victory over the Twins, handled back-to-back chances at second base cleanly, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The slugging infielder and the Rays were content with Miller's debut effort at second in live action this spring, which drew praise from manager Kevin Cash following the game. Assuming the 27-year-old locks down his new position as expected, the team will be able to deploy Matt Duffy in the shortstop role that he's comfortable in. Miller is expected to see plenty of reps at the keystone this spring in preparation for the regular season.

Canha, who missed the majority of last season due to hip surgery, has earned strong praise from manager Bob Melvin for his performance in early workouts, Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area reports. "He worked hard in the offseason. His swing looks good," Melvin said. "He looks like he's in great shape and I think he's out to prove a serious point this year - that he can be a very productive guy at the big league level, as we've seen before."

The 28-year-old saw only 44 plate appearances in 2016 before his injury, which prevented him from building on a solid rookie campaign the season prior. Canha, who's slated to platoon with newcomer Matt Joyce in right field this season, will draw the start in left field and hit cleanup in Saturday's Cactus League opener versus the Cubs.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Cabrera is not a candidate to hit second this year, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The Tigers don't have a prototypical No. 2 hitter, and are considering sluggers Nick Castellanos and J.D. Martinez for the role. However, Ausmus said Cabrera will remain the No. 3 hitter. "Miggy has been pretty successful hitting third," Ausmus said. Cabrera should once again post elite fantasy numbers in a strong Detroit lineup.

Brantley (shoulder) is taking normal batting practice pitching at an indoor cage Friday after previously being restricted to a soft-toss program, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The outfielder's timetable remains up in the air, and a need to rehab into the season looks highly possible. Still, the fact he's taking cuts off live pitches offers a step in the right direction. In the waning rounds of a mixed fantasy draft, owners still can take a logical chance on at least a partial season from the 2014 AL MVP candidate.

Sources say the Indians have no certainty for when Brantley (shoulder) will debut this season, despite the optimism offered by general manager Mike Chernoff and other officials, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

Heyman suggests 2017 is a lot like 2016, in that Cleveland is hoping Brantley can make significant progress. His complex surgeries and recovery should force fantasy owners to express similar caution, though as his price craters, it'll be hard to pass on the talented bat, for whatever portion of the season he plays.