MLB Player News

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley belted his third home run Sunday against the Blue Jays.

Brantley worked an incredible nine-pitch at-bat against Brandon Morrow in the second inning. After fouling off four straight pitches, Brantley managed to take a 94 mph fastball out to right for the solo shot. 

Brantley would double in his next at-bat, driving in another run. He would later walk, reaching base for the third time. 

He finished the game 2 for 3, with two runs scored and two RBI.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes notched his first three-hit game of the season Friday night against the Astros.

Cespedes singled two runs in the opening frame off Jarred Cosart in the opening frame and went yard in the second off Paul Clemens. He went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBI in an 11-3 victory. He is hitting .315/.523/.838 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 65 at-bats.

Left fielder Michael Brantley was pretty much the entire offense for the Indians in Detroit on Thursday. In the process, he snuck into third among the American League RBI leaders with 14.

Brantley drove a two-run single to right off Justin Verlander in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and slammed a two-run homer in the seventh to chop the deficit to 6-5.

It was his first multi-hit game since April 6, but he still owns a respectable stat line of .275/.362/.392.

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller went 2 for 5 with a solo home run in his team's 6-4 win over the A's Friday.

Miller shook off an 0-for-8 performance in his previous two games to hit his third home run of the season Friday. He opened the season with a nice 5-for-15, two-homer performance in a series against the Angels, but he's struggled at the plate since, hitting .220/.238/.488 with a 14:1 K:BB ratio in 41 at-bats this season.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 4 in Friday's loss to the Padres to continue his slow start to the season.

The winner of back-to-back MVP awards, Cabrera has hit just .250/.294/.406 with one home run and three RBI in 32 at-bats in his first eight games. He started at third base for the second time Friday, making his third overall appearance at the position as the Tigers continue a West Coast swing through the National League West.

Both Blue Jays competing for the starting second base job will play Friday night in Baltimore. Ryan Goins will man that position with Maicer Izturis playing short instead of Jonathan Diaz.

Izturis and Goins have been going in opposite directions at the plate. The former is batting .385 this season while the latter has just one hit in 19 at-bats.

Maicer Izturis has made four straight starts for the Blue Jays at second base, but John Gibbons has declined to name him the full-time starter ahead of struggling Ryan Goins.

Izturis boasts a .455 batting average while Goins has just one hit in 19 at-bats this season. But Gibbons believes the latter is a better all-around fielder and refuses to commit to Izturis.

"I'm not ready to stay that," Gibbons told the Toronto Sun. "Izturis gives you some offense and some defense. Goins is a defensive specialist. We think he's going to hit enough. He's off to a slow start but I expect him to improve on that. But right now we're playing the hot hand, the guy that's swinging the bat."

Gibbons added that he might have considered continuing to play Goins if others in the lineup were hitting better.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was noticeably limping in the clubhouse prior to Monday's game at Minnesota, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Cespedes acknowledged he's dealing with some discomfort in his right heel, but it was not enough to keep him from starting Monday.

"When I have to run, I can run. It's fine," he said.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes hit his first home run of the season Sunday against the Mariners. 

Cespedes got off to a slow start this year, but may have turned a corner in the eighth inning. Cespedes took the first pitch thrown by Yoervis Medina, and took it out to center field for a solo home run.

Cespedes finished the game 1 for 3, with one run scored and one RBI. He also managed to draw a walk in a previous plate appearance.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera continued to show why he was given a lucrative contract Friday with another explosive performance.

Cabrera went 4 for 5 and capped his day with a two-run homer in the eighth inning in a defeat of Baltimore. He elevated his batting average to .417 in the process.