MLB Player News

Miller went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in a 6-2 loss to the Twins on Friday.

The displaced shortstop blasted his 20th round-tripper of the season in the sixth off Ervin Santana, his third straight game with a home run. Miller has apparently taken the news of his position switch due to the arrival of Matt Duffy to heart, as he's hit safely in four straight and has five RBI over his last three contests.

Soler (hamstring) hit a three-run homer in his return to the lineup Friday.

Soler's home run came in his first plate appearance in nearly two months. It's been a disappointing season for the talented youngster, but he survived the trading deadline and should be a valuable part of the Cubs' outfield rotation during the last two months and postseason.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double in Friday's 4-3 victory over the Mets.

Martinez is 5-for-9 (.556) with two doubles and one home run since his return from the DL on Tuesday and has now raised his batting average by 50 points (.245 to .295) since June 1. Suffice to say you need to get Martinez back into your lineup, stat.

Soler (hamstring) has been activated from the 15-day disabled list and he will bat sixth in the order Friday against Oakland.

After a nearly two-month absence due to a hamstring injury, Soler returns to the Cubs' lineup Friday. Manager Joe Maddon took advantage of the fact that the Cubs are playing in an American League park this weekend, which allows him to plug Soler in as the DH. Soler was slashing .223/.322/.377 with five home runs and 36 strikeouts over 130 at-bats prior to landing on the disabled list. The Cubs have yet to announce a corresponding move for activating Soler.

McCutchen is back in the lineup Friday against the Reds, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The five-time All-Star did not play at all during the Atlanta series, as the team looked to recharge McCutchen's batteries after a .204/.259/.296 start to the second half. McCutchen's plate skills have slipped this year, with his walk rate dipping by more than five percent while his strikeout rate has jumped in the wrong direction, but he's earned everyday at-bats for the Pirates and should remain active in most formats.

Vargas is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reports.

Vargas is out of the lineup for the third time in the past four games after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Thursday's contest against Cleveland. Miguel Sano will hit in the DH spot for Friday's game, with Jorge Polanco taking over the hot corner.

Carpenter (oblique) was activated from the DL on Friday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Carpenter will return Friday to face Braves right-hander Joel De La Cruz following a successful four-game rehab stint with Double-A Springfield (4-for-12 with a double and a homer). Carpenter was enjoying a great season before the oblique injury put him on the shelf in early July, slashing .298/.420/.568, and he should continue to provide excellent four-category production while batting atop the Cardinals' order.

Belt is out of the lineup Friday against the Nationals.

He is hitting just .190/.342/.286 in the second half, so while his numbers on the season are still pretty impressive, he's scuffling quite a bit at the plate, specifically in the power department. Buster Posey will get the start at first base and hit cleanup Friday.

Choi went 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in Thursday's loss to the A's.

Believe it or not, Choi almost had a third home run, but Coco Crisp robbed him with a leaping catch at the wall in the bottom of the fifth inning. Choi had two home runs in 32 games entering play Thursday, and even after this performance, he's still slashing just .182/.273/.390 on the season.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Thursday's loss to the White Sox.

The 33-year-old continues to tear the cover off the ball -- Thursday's homer was his fourth in as many games and seventh since the All-Star break. He's been excellent since the first couple weeks of the season and remains a set-it-and-forget-it fantasy stud.