MLB Player News

The Indians' outfield will look a little different when they take the field against the Pirates on Saturday.

Michael Brantley will start at center field; Brandon Moss will take the role of right fielder; and Mike Aviles will play left field.

Ben Zobrist will replace Mark Canha in the Athletics' starting lineup for Saturday's game. 

Canha has started the last two games and three of the last four. Zobrist has started the last two games at second base. 

The Tigers placed first baseman Miguel Cabrera on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left calf on Saturday, the team announced via Twitter.

Cabrera -- on the disabled list for the first time in his career -- left Friday's game against the Blue Jays in the fourth inning while running the bases. He was 2 for 2 with a RBI prior to the injury.

Detroit will be without Cabrera for an estimated six weeks after the slugger was diagnosed with a Grade 3 calf strain on Saturday.

Cabrera is hitting .350 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI in 277 at-bats this season.

Left fielder Mark Canha bookended the scoring for the Athletics on Friday. Canha singled in the first run of the game in the second inning, and then doubled in two more in the bottom of the ninth. But it wasn't enough, as the A's would fall 9-5 to the Mariners.

All told, Canha went 2 for 4 with three RBI and a run scored on Friday. Canha has seen his playing time dwindle over the past few weeks, and he's batting just .188 over his last nine ballgames.

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller went 2 for 4 with a double and a two-run home run in the 9-5 win over the A's on Friday. Miller's home run came in the eighth inning and put the Mariners up 9-3.

It was Miller's eighth home run of the season, and he's batting .379 with two homers and five RBI over his last eight contests.

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez stayed hot at the plate in Friday's 8-6 win over the Blue Jays. Martinez went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.

Martinez drove in the Tigers' seventh and eighth runs with a double in the fifth inning, and a single two innings later. Martinez has driven in 19 runs over his last 11 games for Detroit.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera was forced to exit Friday's contest against the Blue Jays in the fourth inning with what appeared to be a leg injury. Cabrera rounded first base on a base hit and came up hobbling. He had to be helped off the field by the trainer.

Cabrera was 2 for 2 with an RBI before the injury. The Tigers revealed Cabrera left with a left calf strain, and he will undergo an MRI. A trip to the disabled list is a likely possibility.

"I'm not optimistic he's gonna avoid the DL at this point," manager Brad Ausmus said after Friday's game, per MLB.com. "But we'll know more tomorrow."

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus decided to shake up his lineup Friday against the Blue Jays, as catcher Alex Avila returned from the disabled list and with Detroit also looking to end a three-game losing streak.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler moved into the leadoff spot for just the second time this season and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes hit second for the first time. 

Anthony Gose, who has hit leadoff a team-high 48 times this season, moved down to the eighth spot in the lineup.

Avila hit sixth upon his activation from the disabled list.

Although Chris Taylor started at shortstop Thursday immediately following his recall from the minors, Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said Brad Miller will remain the starting shortstop, per MLB.com.

"Brad is in a pretty good groove right now," McClendon said. "There's still a lot of room for improvement, but he is improving every day. He has his moments [defensively], but most of the time it's just a mechanical thing where he doesn't move through the ball or he stands straight up. I would say the last 12-15 days, he's been a lot better at that."

Taylor will serve as a backup middle infielder and could get some playing time at other positions as well.

"It's still a progression, but I'm feeling a lot more comfortable and a lot better [at the plate]," Taylor said. "It was good to go down there and take some of the pressure off. I was able to stop pressing and just worry about going out there and having some fun again. I'm feeling a lot better now and I'm ready to go."

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller was held out of the starting lineup Thursday against the Athletics for the first time in 18 games and just the fourth time since May 24. Chris Taylor, who was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, replaced Miller in the starting lineup at shortstop.

Since June 1, Miller is batting .256 with one triple, two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs, 10 walks, 19 strikeouts and three stolen bases in his last 27 games.