MLB Player News

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley is back in action Monday against the host Red Sox after missing the Minnesota series with a sore shoulder.

Brantley was on a tear before being sidelined. He was batting .454 (15-for-33) in his previous eight games with seven runs and seven RBI.

The desire of Terry Francona to use top hitters Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis as designated hitters upon their return to the Indians has created a dilemma.

Brantley and Kipnis, both of whom have been sidelined with shoulder issues, should be ready to roll Monday in Boston. But only one, of course, can DH. That could result in Kipnis being pushed back to Tuesday, per MLB.com.

The former received a cortisone shot Friday and joined the club in Minneapolis on Saturday. Kipnis is eligible to come off the disabled list Monday.

"I don't even know if we'd activate [Kipnis] or not [Monday]," Francona said. "It's going to be close. He certainly can be activated, but he's not ready to play second. ... I think Kip's kind of chomping at the bit, which I don't blame him."

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper returned to the lineup for Sunday's game.

Harper was forced to leave Saturday's game after fouling a pitch off his foot, but he returned to the lineup Sunday, batting third. 

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley was held out of Sunday's lineup at Minnesota, reports MLB.com.

Brantley is dealing with a shoulder aliment, which also kept him out of Saturday's contest. He was replaced in left field by Mike Aviles, who will bat ninth.

Nationals slugger Bryce Harper was removed from the game Saturday in San Francisco after fouling a pitch off his left foot in the seventh inning.

He finished the at-bat by flying out, but Jayson Werth moved to right field in the bottom of the inning.

Harper later reported that x-rays on the foot were negative, per MASN. It remains to be seen if it feels healthy enough for him to play Sunday.

As expected, Indians outfielder Michael Brantley is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Twins. Brantley is dealing with a shoulder injury that is expected to keep him out for at least a couple of days.

Mike Aviles will handle left field duties for the Indians on Saturday.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper had one hit on Friday night, but it was good for a three-run home run in the fifth inning. It wasn't enough however, as the Giants would hang on to defeat the Nats 8-5.

Harper's home run came off Matt Cain, but the Giants already owned a 6-1 lead at the time. The longball was Harper's 30th of the year, as he became the youngest player in Expos/Nationals franchise history to hit 30 homers in a season. 

"I'm playing for 40 [home runs]," Harper said, per MLB.com. "If you are not worried about 30, you are not worried about 40. I want to hit 40 or 50. I want to keep going. I want to keep battling.

"If I'm doing that, hopefully, we are winning ballgames. That's all that matters. Personal stats, of course, are fun. But it's all about winning ballgames and what you can do for your team."

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter went 2 for 4 with a solo home run and two RBI in Friday's win over Miami. 

Carpenter extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games. He's hitting .368 over the streak. 

"He's always looking for something, something to add to his bag of tricks," manager Mike Matheny said, per MLB.com. "It's been nice to add home runs into the bag this year, and we've reaped the benefits of that. And then to just look and see what they're going to give you [on defense], it's a smart play."

Terry Francona has declared that Indians premier hitter Michael Brantley will only miss two or three games with a shoulder ailment.

An MRI revealed nothing serious. He could be back Sunday in Minnesota or Monday for the start of a three-game series in Boston.

"He's been playing through a lot," manager Terry Francona said, per MLB.com. "Hopefully, when something like this happens, maybe a couple days down helps the rest of his body, because he's found a way to be still so productive and so good, but I know it's probably been hard for him at times. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't like saying anything about it, nor is he going to. Maybe this will help him a little bit.

"It's hard to not have him for a couple or three days, but it's a heck of a lot better than not having him for a couple or three months."

A hot streak since the All-Star break has his slash line sweetened to .312/.388/.461.

Indians left fielder Michael Brantley has undergone an MRI on his left shoulder and is out of the lineup Friday night in Minnesota, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

It remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined.

Brantley has been on a tear since the All-Star break. His hitless game Thursday ended a 15-for-29 stretch during which he scored seven runs and drove in six. He leads Cleveland with 63 RBI on the year.