MLB Player News

Martinez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run in Friday's 10-3 victory over the White Sox.

The 28-year-old outfielder recorded his first multi-hit game since May 22 and has four RBI in the last four contests. Martinez is still trying to find a consistent rhythm at the plate this season, as his current .249 average is considerably behind what he hit in 2014 (.315) and 2015 (.282).

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus expects Cabrera (back) to play Saturday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

He'll check on Cabrera prior to Saturday's contest to be sure, but it sounds like the early exit from Friday's game is due to a relatively minor ailment.

Cabrera left Friday's game with lower back tightness and is considered day-to-day.

He finished Friday's game going for 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI prior to his departure. Andrew Romine took over at first base, and no further details regarding the extent of Cabrera's injury are immediately available.

Miller, who was hitting .174 on May 4, has now raised his average 76 points since that date following a 2-for-4 effort against the Twins on Thursday.

The offseason acquisition from the Mariners had been mired in perhaps the worst slump of his professional career to open his Rays tenure. Miller's batting average didn't even eclipse .100 until his 10th game of the season, and it took a 4-for-5 performance against the Angels on May 6 for him to finally cross the Mendoza Line. The 26-year-old slashed .291/.351/.535 overall in May, and has kicked off the new month with a .333 (3-for-9) average over the first two games.

Brantley (shoulder) hit off a tee Thursday and hopes to take soft toss Friday, MLB.com reports.

The Indians continue to take a cautious approach to Brantley's rehab but he's made some steady, albeit slow, progress in recent days. His ability to handle and respond positively to increased activities will go a long way in determining the next steps in his recovery.

Vargas is hitting .240/.340/.391 with seven home runs at Triple-A Rochester. After hitting just .190 in April, Vargas hit .280 in May with six home runs.

He's struggled this season against lefties by going just 5-for-57 even though he's never had huge platoon splits in his minor league career. He has an .884 OPS against righties. With a crowded first base and DH situation in the majors, Vargas is likely to spend almost all season at Triple-A.

Miller went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and a run in Tuesday's loss to the Royals.

For the third time this month, Miller was just a home run away from notching a cycle. After having four triples in each of the last two seasons, the shortstop now has three this year. He finished May hitting .272/.337/.494, which is much better than the .185/.254/.354 he posted in the season's first month.

Buxton will start in center field and bat ninth Tuesday against the A's, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

With Danny Santana (hamstring) landing back on the DL, Buxton has returned to the big-league roster, and he appears poised to serve as the regular center fielder in Santana's absence. The 22-year-old exploded for a .336/.403/.603 line with Triple-A Rochester following his demotion (11:26 BB:K), but it looks like he will be stuck batting ninth for the foreseeable future with Eduardo Nunez and Brian Dozier occupying the top two spots in the order.

Goins appears to be the top candidate from the Jays infield to be sent to the minors once Troy Tulowitzki (quad) returns from the 15-day DL, the Toronto Star reports.

The team's infield is simply overcrowded with the return of Devon Travis, and manager John Gibbons is going to have to trim the group. When spring training began, Goins was the starting second baseman, an important part of a returning starting lineup that produced a MLB high in runs scored the season before. However, the 28-year-old has struggled immensely this season as he's slashing just .165/.211/.289 through 129 plate appearances.

Brantley (shoulder) remains limited to non-contact swings and light hitting off a tee, MLB.com reports.

The Indians are taking a cautious approach with Brantley to avoid another setback once he's able to return. He's been sidelined since May 10 and a return doesn't appear imminent.