MLB Player News

Tigers outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was pulled after two innings Thursday against the Athletics due to flu-like symptoms. He was replaced in left field in the top of the third inning by Daniel Fields, who made his MLB debut.

Cespedes struck out in his only at-bat Thursday. He came into Thursday batting .279 with two home runs, four doubles and five RBI in his last 17 games.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley, who has been bothered by a sore back throughout the season, was held out of the starting lineup Wednesday against left-hander Jason Vargas and the Royals.

Brantley is a .320 hitter (24 for 75) against left-handed pitchers this season. He has at least a hit in 25 of the last 30 games played. He is hitting .299 (35 for 117) with 12 doubles, four homers, 25 RBI and 20 walks over that span.

Athletics left fielder Mark Canha is struggling mightily during his team's current homestand.

Canha is 3 for 15 during the homestand and went just 1 for 8 in a four-game series against the Yankees. 

"I think I can get a little excited there and try to do too much sometimes," Canha said. "I just need to relax and see the ball."

Canha is hitting .169 in May after hitting an impressive .279 in April. He's also struggling to hit against left-handed pitchers -- which was something his team was looking for him to excel at --going just 5 for 47 this season.

"We really looked at him to be a potential left-handed pitcher killer, and it's really been the opposite for him. All his damage has been against right-handed pitching. I think that'll even out at some point."

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez went 3 for 4 at the plate in Detroit's 8-6 loss to the Angels on Saturday. Martinez ripped two doubles, pushing his total to 11 on the year, and scored two runs in the contest. 

Martinez is now hitting .266 with 22 RBI in 188 at-bats this season.

Tigers left fielder Yoenis Cespedes went 2 for 4 at the plate in Detroit's 8-6 loss to the Angels on Saturday. Cespedes did his damage in the second when he crushed a 1-2 pitch from Jered Weaver over the left field wall for a solo home run, his seventh of the season.

Cespedes is now hitting .284 with 28 RBI on the year.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley has been hobbled for parts of the 2015 season while battling a back injury. He was kept out of action in spring training and in April with the issue and may be dealing with it again, manager Terry Francona said per MLB.com.

"I would think, as you get to where you're playing 20 in a row, everybody starts to feel stuff," Francona said. "I don't think he's really comfortable talking about it, because I think he feels like, 'Hey, if I'm playing, I'm playing.' I think he's done a good job with it.

"I don't want to put words in his mouth, but he hasn't been complaining about it. But, I'd bet you he does feel it sometimes. He's a tough kid."

Brantley has been choosing when to push himself lately.

"He tries to pick his spots a little bit," Francona said. "We've talked about it a little bit and I've actually probably encouraged it. One of the things I think every manager loves is when a guy just runs down the bases like their pants are on fire. But, we've actually talked, because keeping him out there is so big for us. Having him just keeping an eye on things, I think makes some sense."

Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said when Victor Martinez went out of the lineup due to injury that J.D. Martinez would likely handle cleanup duties for the Tigers. However, it's been Yoenis Cespedes that's found a home at No. 4, as he will hit cleanup for the fourth straight game on Saturday. 

Cespedes is 2-for-11 with one homer and three RBIs in the last three contests as cleanup hitter, but the Tigers haven't been able to muster much offense as a team, scoring just six runs in their last five games. Cespedes is hitting .308 against Angels starter Jered Weaver in 13 career at-bats. 

Despite being hit on the foot with a pitch on Thursday, Miguel Cabrera is in the starting lineup for the Tigers' contest with the Angels on Friday. Cabrera will indeed start at first base and bat third as usual. 

Being his typical self, Cabrera is batting .314 (11 for 35) with two doubles, a triple and a home run over his last 10 games. 

Brad Miller returns to the Mariners' lineup at shortstop for Friday's game against Cleveland. 

Miller will start his team-high 28th game at short, but it's just his second time there in the last 11 games. He replaces Chris Taylor.

There is no possibility that Tigers slugger Yoenis Cespedes will eschew free agency to sign early with Detroit, an executive of one of his former teams told CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

"He's a businessman," the source said.

The Tigers, however, like Cespedes and plan to keep him in Detroit. He has been steady and productive this year to the tune of a .285/.320/.478 slash line and 27 RBI.