MLB Player News

Astros outfielder J.D. Martinez has tailed off offensively in June following a strong finish in May. 

Martinez hit .349 (22 for 63) with three home runs, six doubles and 13 RBI over a 17-game stretch from May 13-31. Unfortunately, he hasn't been as strong of a performer in June. He's batting .216 (11 for 51) with one home run, four RBI and 17 strikeouts in 14 games this month.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley heads into Monday's game against the Royals looking to end a hitting slump that has reached multiple weeks. Brantley is batting .177 (11 for 62) in his last 18 games, dropping his season average from .316 to .280. 

Brantley hasn't homered in 24 games and has managed just three RBI through 13 June games. He also has just one extra-base hit in his last 18 games.

Perhaps the Royals are the perfect remedy for Brantley. He's batting .389 (7 for 18) with one triple, two RBI and three doubles in four games against the Royals this season. In 44 career games against Kansas City, Brantley is batting .329 (57 for 173) with an .841 OPS and 22 RBI.

Returning from a hamstring injury, Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes went 0 for 4 in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners, giving him just two hits in 16 at-bats over his last five games.

Cespedes opened up June strong by going 10 for 26 with four home runs in his first six games of the month, but he's hit just .236/.302/.481 with 13 home runs and 35 RBI on the season.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is in Friday's lineup against the Mariners, batting fourth as the designated hitter. Cespedes hasn't played since coming out of Tuesday's game with a hamstring injury.

Cespedes has hit .240/.307/.490 with 13 home runs and 35 RBI in 204 at-bats this season.

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will be held out of Thursday's game with a hamstring injury. Cespedes did not play Wednesday.

He'll join Coco Crisp on the bench as the A's go against Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. Cespedes has hit .240/.307/.490 in 204 at-bats. 

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring), who was unable to play Wednesday against the Yankees, took batting practice before the game, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. 

Manager Bob Melvin said the injury "doesn't seem to be too substantial." That said, the A's will not take any risks with him. He is day to day. 

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was unable to play Wednesday against the Yankees and is unlikely to play Thursday as well, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Cespedes, who was forced out of Tuesday's game with a hamstring injury, is considered day to day. 

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was forced out of Tuesday's game against the Yankees in the third inning with left hamstring tightness.

Cespedes finished 0 for 1 and was replaced by Seth Smith at left field. The team told reporters Cespedes left for "precautionary measures" and is listed as day to day. He is hitting .240 in 52 games played.

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera doesn't appear to be close to hammering out a contract extension with Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reports Monday. This is contrary to the report last week by ESPN that both sides were close. 

"No," Cabrera told FOX Sports Detroit. "There is nothing going on. I don’t know why he (ESPN's Jason Stark) would say that."

Cabrera entered Monday's game against the Royals hitting .363 with 17 homers and 67 RBI. 

Mariners infield prospect Brad Miller has been thriving since his promotion to Triple-A Tacoma. Miller has a .368/.422/.596/1.018 slash line through 13 games since being promoted from Double-A Jackson.

He also has one triple, two doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI for Tacoma. In 55 games, Miller is batting .314 with a .505 slugging percentage, two triples, nine doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBI.

Miller is considered the Mariners' sixth-best prospect by MLB.com.