MLB Player News

Soler (toe) is "not close" to a return, manager Ned Yost told Rustin Dodd of The Athletic Kansas City on Sunday.

Soler had been on pace for the best season of his career with a .820 OPS but suffered a broken toe in June that ultimately required surgery. He's five weeks removed from that procedure, which is significant because the team originally estimated a six-week timetable for his return to baseball activities. According to Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star, Soler is scheduled to be reevaluated Friday and could get off crutches if all goes well. He's already been using an underwater treadmill as part of his rehab, but when the crutches are gone, baseball-related activities will be one of the next steps. The Royals sit dead last in the AL Central with a mark of 29-68, so there's little incentive to rush back one of their younger stars, which could push his return date back to somewhere in mid-to-late August.

Pederson is out of the lineup Sunday against the Brewers, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

As per usual, the Dodgers will hold Pederson out of the starting nine against left-handed pitching, with Enrique Hernandez slotting in as the club's center fielder as southpaw Brent Suter toes the rubber for Milwaukee. Pederson has managed a paltry .175 average in 269 career at-bats against lefties.

Vogelbach went 0-for-3 in a loss to the White Sox on Saturday.

Vogelbach wasn't successful in his first big-league at-bats since June 8, going down on strikes twice in the shutout loss. The 25-year-old was in the midst of one of his best pro seasons at Triple-A Tacoma before his Friday callup, slashing .305/.456/.582 with 16 home runs and 42 RBI over 283 plate appearances with the Rainiers.

Turner (groin) will start at third base and bat third Sunday against the Brewers, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

After making an appearance as a pinch hitter in Saturday's 4-2 loss, Turner indicated he would rejoin the lineup for the series finale. True to his word, he'll be back at the hot corner and join Manny Machado on the left side of the infield for the first time since the latter's acquisition. Turner could be rested once or twice a week with Machado capable of moving over to the hot corner as needed, but the 33-year-old should otherwise settle back into an everyday role if he comes out of Sunday's start without issue.

Martinez (upper body) will serve as the Red Sox's designated hitter and bat third Sunday against the Tigers, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

The Red Sox held Martinez out of Saturday's lineup while he recovered from upper-body soreness after crashing into the outfield wall in the series opener, but there was never much concern about the slugger's health. After completing a workout without issue Sunday, Martinez was cleared to reclaim his usual role as the DH and should be on tap for a full slate of starts during the upcoming week.

Turner (groin) remained out of the starting lineup Saturday, but he went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in a loss to Milwaukee.

While Turner was unable to re-enter the starting nine Saturday, his pinch-hit appearance suggests he's just about over the groin issue. The third baseman relayed after the contest that he expects to start in Sunday's series finale, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, which would give Turner's fantasy owners some peace of mind heading into the upcoming week. The 33-year-old will likely cede a handful of starts to the newly acquired Manny Machado, but he should still handle the bulk of the duties at the hot corner once he fully heals from the minor injury.

McCutchen went 0-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base Saturday against the Athletics.

McCutchen didn't record a hit but still managed to swipe his ninth base of the season and third in his past 10 games. He is almost certain to surpass 11 stolen bases, his highest mark since 2015. However, his disappointing .411 slugging percentage is a career low and has held back his production this season.

Belt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday against the Athletics.

Belt took Trevor Cahill deep in the fourth inning for his 14th home run of the season. Before the game, he was activated from the paternity list, though he only missed Friday's game before returning. Though this has been Belt's most productive season from a power standpoint, it was his first home run since June 28 and only his third since May 20.

Brantley went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs, and an RBI against the Rangers on Saturday.

Brantley was a beneficiary of the Indians' offensive explosion Saturday, scoring both times he reached base and driving in his 57th run of the season on a single in the fifth inning. While his season-long numbers are still excellent, Brantley has slowed at the plate -- especially in terms of power -- hitting just three home runs since June 1.

Lewis was promoted to Double-A Arkansas on Saturday in the wake of Braden Bishop's season-ending forearm injury, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

One silver lining in Bishop's unfortunate circumstances is the opportunity for his fellow prospect to make the jump to the Double-A level for the first time. Lewis was slashing .260/.303/.429 across 211 plate appearances at High-A Modesto, and he went 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and two runs while also getting hit by a pitch in his Travelers debut against Springfield on Saturday night.