MLB Player News

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler was given the day off on Monday against the Cardinals. Soler had started each of the Cubs' first 23 games of the season, and with just seven hits in his last 34 at-bats, he seemed due for a rest, though he is riding a modest three-game hitting streak.

Manager Joe Maddon said that while Monday's break was just to give the right fielder a breather, the team will monitor him as the weather heats up, ESPN reports. Soler has previously dealt with leg issues.

"Dehydration is the thing I'm always concerned with," Maddon said. "The hotter it gets the more and more I'm worried about that kind of a thing. We have to be really proactive the next couple of weeks making sure we don't run anyone into the ground."

Chris Denorfia replaced Soler in right field, while Chris Coghlan moved up to the second spot in manager Joe Maddon's batting order. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen continued to struggle in Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Cardinals. The former MVP went 1 for 7 on the afternoon, dropping his season batting average to a paltry .193. He has just seven hits over his last 38 at-bats.

The slow start through the first month of the season is rather uncharacteristic for McCutchen, who owns a lifetime .260 batting average in March/April. He has been bothered by a knee injury since spring training, though he has started all but two games for the Pirates this season.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley had a two-RBI single and double during a 10-7 win Sunday vs. Toronto. He also had two runs and two walks.

Brantley has hit safely in four straight games and has at least one RBI in four straight games as well.

Since returning from a back injury April 17 -- which kept him out six of seven games from April 8-15 -- Brantley is batting .381 (24 for 63) with one home run, seven doubles, nine runs, 11 RBI, seven walks and three stolen bases in 16 games.

Rockies leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon delivered two solo home runs on Sunday in a loss to the Padres.

The outfielder also homered on Saturday and now has five for the season.

"We had good, competitive at-bats," Blackmon said. "Results-wise, we did well against him [Shields] -- we scored quite a few runs, Nolan had some good at-bats to drive in three off of him. We came to play and put it on him a little bit with the sticks, more than we were expecting."

His 3 for 5 day raised his average to .316.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter went 1 for 3 at the plate in St. Louis' 3-2 win over the Pirates in 14 innings on Sunday.

Carpenter did his damage in the fourth inning when he took a Vance Worley pitch out of the park for a solo shot, his fourth of the season. Carpenter was removed larter on after dealing with "light headness." 

Carpenter, who also struck out twice, boosted his average to .365 with 16 RBI in 96 at-bats this season. 

Twins first baseman Kennys Vargas went 2 for 5 at the plate in Minnesota's 13-3 win over the White Sox on Sunday.

Vargas did his damage in the sixth inning when he hit a lead off home run over the center field wall off of Zach Putnam, his second of the year. Vargas boosted his average to .208 with five RBI in 72 at-bats this season.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera went 3 for 4 with a two-run home run in his team's 6-4 win over the Royals Sunday.

Cabrera extended his team's lead to 6-0 with his fifth-inning home run, and it provided to be the decisive hit of the game after the Royals were able to rally for four runs in the seventh and eighth innings. He was just 1 for 8 in the previous three games of the series but had drawn four walks to provide a constant presence on base.

Cabrera has hit .366/.459/.624 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 93 at-bats.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said that he plans to find days off for some of his regulars who haven't missed a game yet this year. 

Miguel Cabrera has started every game at first base. Ian Kinsler has been a fixture at second, and one day at DH is the only thing that kept Yoenis Cespedes out of left field this season. 

"Absolutely (a day off) can help," Ausmus said, per the Detroit Free Press. "Even if you're not struggling, just to not have to think about every pitch every at-bat, you just kind of sit back for a day and watch the game until you're called upon to go into it. It's almost like going to a spa for the day. It's mentally relaxing."

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter left Sunday's game against the Pirates with light headness, the team has announced.

Carpenter was 1 for 3 with a home run before exiting.

Kolten Wong subsequently entered the game at second base and Peter Kozma, who started at second, moved over to third.

Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler is out of the starting lineup for Sunday's game. It will be just the second start Butler has missed this season. 

Mark Canha moves to DH from left field to give Butler a day of rest. Sam Fuld shifts from center to left to replace Canha. 

Entering the lineup to fill Fuld's vacancy in center is Billy Burns, who will bat leadoff. Burns is making his second consecutive start in center.