MLB Player News

Miller (back) is no longer doing baseball activities, MLB.com reports.

Miller was fielding ground balls in April but since appears to have been shut down. It's unclear if the 21-year-old top prosect has suffered a setback in his rehab from a nagging lower-back injury, or if the Phillies are being simply cautious with his recovery. In any event, Miller doesn't look to be close to making his season debut.

Freeland isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta.

Freeland has gone 5-for-14 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored since the beginning of May, but the Dodgers will keep him on the bench to begin Friday's series opener. Santiago Espinal will get the nod at second base and bat ninth.

Alexander was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the Athletics due to right calf tightness, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.

There's been no word yet on the severity of Alexander's injury, but it's enough to keep him from playing Friday. Weston Wilson will enter the starting nine to replace Alexander at third base.

Manager Joe Espada said Friday that Pena (hamstring) will "hopefully" run the bases this weekend, which would be the final step in his rehab program before starting a rehab assignment, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The shortstop has been on the shelf nearly four weeks due to a strained hamstring, but he's close to being cleared for game action. Pena shouldn't require a lengthy rehab assignment before rejoining Houston's active roster, so a return in mid-May remains on the table.

Manager John Schneider said Barger (ankle) is traveling to Toronto on Friday and will "most likely" be activated off the injured list Saturday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Barger was expected to come off the IL for Friday's series opener versus the Angels, but it appears the Blue Jays will give him a day to settle in before returning him to the active roster. The 26-year-old went 1-for-19 with three walks and six strikeouts in eight games prior to landing on the shelf. Barger is likely to take on a significant role now that he's healthy, with most of his starts likely to come in the outfield.

Wilson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 12-1 win over the Phillies.

Wilson joined Thursday's offensive outburst, turning on an Andrew Painter sinker and launching it over the left-field fence for a two-run homer to extend the Athletics' lead in the third inning. It marked the third long ball of the season for the contact-oriented shortstop, who remains in the midst of a heater. Wilson currently holds an 11-game hitting streak, during which he's slashing .349/.383/.488 with four extra-base hits, five RBI, seven runs and a stolen base.

Story went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Rays.

Story has gone 11-for-45 (.244) over his last 11 games, but he's also racked up 14 strikeouts with just one extra-base hit and two steals in that span. The shortstop has struggled significantly so far, batting .204 with a .528 OPS, four steals, two home runs, 18 RBI, 14 runs scored and six doubles over 36 contests. The Red Sox haven't done well as a team, and Story's large contract gives him a bit more leeway to stay in the lineup, especially since other options at shortstop like Andruw Monasterio and Isiah Kiner-Falefa aren't hitting any better.

Duran started in left field and went 1-for-3 with two walks, a home run and two RBI in Thursday's 9-2 loss to the Yankees. He was also caught stealing.

Duran, a former Yankee farmhand, knocked in five runs over the three-game series against the team that drafted him. He continued to wield a productive bat -- belting a solo homer in the third inning -- and has hit safely in six of the last seven contests, going 9-for-22 (.409) with six walks, five extra-base hits, five RBI and six runs during that stretch. He should remain a lineup regular for at least the next week or so, as the Rangers navigate injuries to outfielder Wyatt Langford (forearm) and second baseman Josh Smith (glute).

Witt went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 8-5 loss to Cleveland.

Witt is heating up following a sluggish start to the campaign. He has at least one knock in 16 of his last 18 games, during which Witt is batting .333 with 10 extra-base hits, nine RBI and five stolen bases over 75 at-bats to raise his OPS to .825 for the year. Thursday's four-hit game was the All-Star shortstop's first of the season, as well.

Hernaiz isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies.

Hernaiz will grab a seat on the bench for a second consecutive game after going just 1-for-13 at the plate to begin the month of May. Zack Gelof will start at third base and bat eighth.