MLB Player News

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler (oblique) will be available for the game Thursday against Pittsburgh, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.

He is not starting, but after helping Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach win the Carolina League championship, he is ready to help the Cubs down the stretch. Look for him to get back in the lineup playing right field sometime this weekend.

Jorge Soler (oblique) will join the Cubs in Pittsburgh on Thursday, the Chicago Tribune reports.

He is not in the Cubs' lineup for Thursday's game, but he will presumably be activated and inserted into the lineup this weekend. Soler should get the nod most days in right field going forward.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was held out of the lineup Thursday against the Cubs.

The star center fielder's average dipped below .300 after he struck out four times in Wednesday's game. A game that bad for a player of McCutchen's caliber is pretty rare, so manager Clint Hurdle obviously felt he needed to give him the day off.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins. An 0-for-4 showing in Tuesday's game extended Cabrera's hitless streak to 19 at-bats, the third-longest slump of his career.

Manager Brad Ausmus has decided to give Cabrera a day to sit back and observe, with Alex Avila inserted at first base. Cabrera will be afforded a bit of an extended rest with the team off Thursday.

Athletics first baseman Mark Canha got quite familiar with the basepaths Tuesday against the host White Sox. He was 3 for 3 and reached in all six of his plate appearances.

Canha is playing every day for the A's and has been very solid since the beginning of August, hitting .302 with seven homers and 31 RBI in his last 149 at-bats.

If he is somehow still available in a league, Canha could make for a very nice grab for the final two and half weeks of the season. Canha is playing himself into a certain role for next year and his strong finish might make him a starter to open 2016.

Darin Ruf will get some additional starts at first base while Phillies teammate Ryan Howard (knee) is sidelined, CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard had his knee drained Monday and is currently considered day-to-day. Ruf has already been starting against lefties, but he will now pick up some at-bats against righties until Howard can return.

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (wrist) still has no specific timetable to return to action this season, the Associated Press reports.

He visited a hand specialist for another opinion on his broken left wrist this week, but the Marlins have yet to release a plan for Stanton's return to game action. He took batting practice on the field Monday, but should be considered out indefinitely.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was 3 for 3 with two homers, four RBI and a walk in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the Phillies.

There likely isn't a superlative that hasn't already been attached to the 22-year-old phenom, who appears to be peaking during the stretch run of what has been an absolutely dominating season. Harper is now 18 for 43 (.419) in September with eight homers and 13 RBI.

He accounted for all of the Nationals' scoring on Tuesday, breaking a scoreless tie with a two-out solo shot in the first and then adding a two-run dinger in the eighth. Harper has also notably notched 14 walks in 14 September games, which adds yet another element to his seemingly inexhaustable offensive repertoire and is a contributing factor into the absurd 1.444 OPS that he came into Tuesday night's contest.

Mariners infielder/outfielder Brad Miller (neck) is in the lineup Tuesday, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Miller missed the previous two games, and three of the last four, due to neck spasms, but he'll return to action Tuesday, manning center field and batting eighth in the lineup.

Neck spasms prevented Mariners shortstop Brad Miller from starting Monday for the second straight game, but he did come off the bench to strike out against the Angels.

Miller is in a 2-for-13 slide and has had a mediocre season. He owns a slash line of .253/.328/.393.