MLB Player News

Ozuna is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mets, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

It's a rare day off for Ozuna, who will head to the bench for just the first time all season. There has been no report of injury, so it appears to simply be a deserved day off for the 26-year-old outfielder. He's in the midst of a breakout season, slashing .315/.378/.565 with 20 homers and 54 RBI in 76 games this year.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Royals.

The 34-year-old has now homered in back-to-back games to give him 10 on the year. Cabrera's recent power surge hasn't been buttressed by his usual high batting average, however, and he's hitting only .220 (11-for-50) over his last 13 games despite five home runs, nine runs and nine RBI. The future Hall of Famer hasn't hit below .300 since he posted a .292 average in 2008, his first season in Detroit, but that streak appears to be in serious jeopardy unless he can put together a huge second half.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

It's been eight games since his last homer, but Harper's hardly been quiet at the plate during that stretch, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with five RBI. It's only a matter of time before the 24-year-old adds to his 18 home runs on the season.

Buxton is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Buxton's base knock Tuesday gave him just his second hit in 21 at-bats over the last six games, leaving his average at an even .200 for the season. It appears his absence from the lineup Wednesday is just a routine day off, but Buxton may need to turn things around quickly if he hopes to avoid a demotion to the minors. Max Kepler will pick up the start in center field in Buxton's stead Wednesday.

Soler was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Soler initially took on an everyday role in the Kansas City outfield when he was activated from the disabled list in early May, but he could be ticketed for reserve duty this time around with Jorge Bonifacio having since emerged as manager Ned Yost's preferred option in right field. After batting just .164 in his first go-round with the Royals, Soler was able to get on track during his stint in the minors, compiling a .324/.453/.667 slash line across 137 plate appearances at Omaha. He'll need to carry that success over to the majors for an extended period before the Royals and fantasy owners alike can be more bullish about his long-term outlook.

Brantley (ankle) went 1-for-4 Tuesday against the Rangers in his first game back from his time on the disabled list.

Brantley has been out since June 15 due to stints on both the paternity list and disabled list, but was able to hit a single in his return to action. The left fielder's return will provide consistency for Cleveland's outfield, which just recently saw Brandon Guyer (wrist) return from injury while both Abraham Almonte (biceps) and Austin Jackson (quad) remain out.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's win over the Angels.

The long ball, a sixth-inning shot off Jose Alvarez, was his first home run off a lefty this season. Pederson had just one home run against a southpaw all of last year, and he came into Tuesday batting .219/.200/.419 against left-handed pitching for the season. The 25-year-old is now up to five homers since his return from the DL on June 13.

Martinez went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Royals.

He's hitting .322 (28-for-87) in June and now has 13 homers in 42 games on the year, a pace that has Martinez targeting his first 40-homer campaign despite missing the first six weeks of the season with a foot injury.

Turner is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Angels, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

It appears to be a routine day off for Turner, who has started five straight games for the Dodgers. Logan Forysthe will slide over to the hot corner in his absence, while Chase Utley draws the start at second base.

Brantley is back in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Rangers, batting third and playing left field.

It will mark Brantley's first game action since June 14, as the All-Star outfielder has been sidelined with an ankle sprain. The lefty is having a productive comeback season, batting .295 with 28 RBI and a .792 OPS over 54 games.