MLB Player News

Brantley, who left the team to be with his wife Thursday for the birth of their child, might be placed on the paternity list in the next few days, Zach Meisel of Cleveland.com reports.

It depends on whether the Indians want to open up a roster spot for a brief window. Brantley should be back Sunday, at the latest, if the club makes the transaction. Daniel Robertson could continue taking on extra at-bats in Brantley's absence, as he did Thursday.

Pederson doubled and scored in his four at-bats against the Indians on Thursday.

The double was the 25-year-old's first extra-base hit in three games since returning from the disabled list. Pederson has resumed his role as the Dodgers' starting center fielder against righties despite carrying a batting average south of the Mendoza Line. He's not going to develop into a .300 hitter any time soon, but there is more power in the youngster's bat than we have seen to date, as evidenced by his 51 home runs over his first two full seasons in the majors. Pederson could be worth a flyer for his power potential in the event he breaks out of his season-long slump now that he is healthy.

Lewis has missed the last two games at High-A Modesto due to knee soreness but there is no structural damage, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The Mariners' top prospect recently resumed playing games at High-A Modesto after undergoing surgery to repair an ACL injury last July. According to Divish, Lewis' knee soreness stems from a play he made in the field where his leg crashed against the outfield wall Monday. The Mariners will be cautious with him and keep Lewis out until the soreness fully subsides.

Cabrera has been dealing with back soreness of late but intends to play through it, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. "It's something that I deal with everyday. I'm not going to stop playing or make an excuse," said Cabrera after Thursday's win.

Cabrera was the hero Thursday as he smacked a walkoff home run off of Tommy Hunter to get the Tigers into the win column. His home run marked the first time Cabrera has gone deep since May 20, a span of 83 at-bats. It appears that Cabrera will continue to play every day, but his back will be something for owners to monitor as the season progresses. He now has six home runs and 31 RBI over 193 at-bats this season.

Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double and two runs scored during Thursday's win over Tampa Bay.

The first baseman has exactly two hits in each of his past four games to improve his season-long numbers to a .280/.378/.446 slash line with six homers, 31 RBI and 21 runs. He's also collected five extra-base hits through his past four games, so it isn't out of the question to count on an upcoming hot stretch from the veteran. Cabrera's current power numbers are down, but considering his track record, remaining patient should pay off over the long run.

Harper went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Thursday's win over the Mets.

Harper now sports an eight-game hitting streak, but he has just a single multi-hit game during the stretch. Still, the star is up to a .314/.422/.614 slash line with 17 homers, 50 RBI and 53 runs. He's a set-and-forget fantasy option, and after a disappointing 2016 campaign, it's encouraging to see Harper back among the league's elite contributors.

Manager Terry Collins said Cespedes will sit out Sunday before he starts getting deployed regularly, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The Mets have been cautious with the star slugger since he returned from the disabled list, but that will hopefully change after Sunday. The Mets plan to play Cespedes in three straight games starting Thursday (marking the first time he'll do so since returning from the DL), and if he responds well, he'll get the day off Sunday before being sent out without any restrictions.

Carpenter went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Brewers.

The veteran infielder has his OPS up to .944 in June following Wednesday's production, as he now has four multi-hit outings over his last seven games, as well as an eight-game hitting streak during which he's compiled nine RBI. The impressive start to the month has brought his season average up 18 points to .239 and he's now leading the team in home runs (12), RBI (36) and OBP (.360).

Brantley is away from the Indians because his wife is delivering their child in the near future, Zach Meisel of Cleveland.com reports.

This explains why he's not in Thursday's lineup. If Brantley has to be placed on the paternity list, Daniel Robertson could see more reps in the outfield over the weekend. Brantley owners should stay tuned to his status before locking him into weekend lineups.

Brantley is not in the Indians' lineup Thursday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

It appears to be a mere day of rest. Brantley has restored the reliable floor he established before his injury-plagued 2016 season, hitting .296/.360/.432 with five home runs and seven stolen bases in 228 plate appearances. He'll give way to Daniel Robertson in left field.