MLB Player News

Carpenter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants.

While no word of injury has yet surfaced, it's certainly rare to see Carpenter held out in back-to-back games. Derrick Goold of the St. Loius Post-Dispatch reports that Carpenter has simply been told to take a few days off, and he has been using that time to get in extra batting practice. He's batting .194 since Aug. 1, so a slight mental break is perhaps what Carpenter needs to get back on track. While he gets another breather, Jose Martinez will man first base, with Kolten Wong at second and Alex Mejia at third.

Martinez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rockies.

Martinez is one of several regulars getting the day off Sunday, as the team will roll with an outfield composed of Gregor Blanco (left), Rey Fuentes (center) and David Peralta (right). Martinez launched homer No. 30 in a four-RBI effort Saturday and is likely being awarded a maintenance day with an important three-game series against the Dodgers on the horizon.

Vargas is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, Shane Jackson of MLB.com reports.

Vargas will be on the bench for the second straight contest, with Twins manager Paul Molitor opting to keep much of his lineup intact from Saturday after Minnesota rolled to a 17-0 victory. It still appears that Vargas will handle most of the designated hitter duties until either Miguel Sano (shin) or Robbie Grossman (thumb) returns from the disabled list, as the 27-year-old has contributed a respectable .350 on-base percentage since rejoining the big club Aug. 21.

Turner came off the bench in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Padres, delivering a two-run home run in an eventual 6-5 loss.

Turner was able to make a fantasy impact despite not being in the starting lineup, taking San Diego closer Brad Hand deep in the top of the ninth to tie the game at five apiece. It was all for naught, as the Friars would come back to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. Turner started the nightcap, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double. The 32-year-old has hit safely in seven consecutive contests and appears to be breaking out of his brief late-August slump.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Phillies.

His 52nd of the year snapped a three-game homerless drought. Amazingly, he's had just one longer stretch of games without a home run since the All-Star break (July 27-Aug. 2). Stanton's putting up video game numbers and looks like the fantasy MVP at what was a reduced cost during draft season.

Martinez went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Saturday's win over the Rockies.

He took advantage of the thin air in Denver, crushing a pitch nearly 450 feet to dead center field against Jon Gray. Martinez is still hitting at just a .237 clip since the trade from Detroit, but he's had some tough luck on balls in play.

Brantley (ankle) is still not able to run on flat ground, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

He is running on a non-weight bearing treadmill and will be evaluated next week to see what the next step is. Brantley is already throwing and hitting without issue. He has been on the DL twice with the same ankle injury, and should be considered out indefinitely.

Miller is out of Saturday's lineup against the White Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He doesn't always sit against southpaws, but he will take a seat with lefty Carlos Rodon on the hill for Chicago. Danny Espinosa starts at second base and hits ninth.

Vargas is out of Saturday's lineup against the Royals, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

He has been the primary DH since getting recalled, hitting .235/.333/.353 with one home run and 10 strikeouts in 34 at-bats over that span. Mitch Garver gets the start at DH, hitting sixth, against lefty Onelki Garcia.

Buxton (hand) is starting in center field and hitting third Saturday against the Royals, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

After being out of the lineup for two games with a bone contusion in his hand, Buxton is back in the heart of the Twins' order against lefty Onelki Garcia. This was the best-case scenario for his owners, as it originally seemed like he may have suffered a fracture that would have ended his season. Plug him in with confidence, as he was hitting .324/.354/.619 with eight home runs and eight steals (on eight attempts) in 105 at-bats leading up to his injury.