MLB Player News

Martinez went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, two runs scored and one walk in Sunday's 5-0 victory over the Orioles.

Martinez hit a solo home run in the second inning followed by a two-run blast in the fifth which gave Boston a 5-0 lead. He's been tearing the cover off the ball through 45 games this season, putting together a .343/.397/.680 batting line and showing impressive power with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. Martinez is showing no signs of slowing down as the Red Sox head to Tampa Bay for a three-game series.

Cabrera (hamstring) took two rounds of batting practice Saturday and will do so again Tuesday when the Tigers are in Minnesota, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Miggy still has to run the bases and be able to take grounders at first base before he's activated, and the Tigers haven't yet unveiled any plans for him to do so.

Stanton went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Saturday against the Royals.

Stanton homered in the ninth inning to record his 11th home run of the season, this one coming off right-hander Blaine Boyer. It was his second home run in four games, and he now has at least one hit in eight of his past ten games. His much discussed strikeout rate is now returning close to his career baseline, so early concerns regarding his performance should be eased.

Brantley went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Astros.

Brantley's power surge continued Saturday with his fourth homer in eight games. He's now up to seven home runs with a .333/.369/.572 slash line over 34 games and has been excellent batting second in Cleveland's loaded lineup that has been red hot over the last month.

Ohtani is out of the lineup Saturday against the Rays.

Ohtani is scheduled to pitch in Sunday's contest, so he won't be the designated hitter Saturday, following the same system the Angels have used all season. The team (and Ohtani's fantasy owners) would probably love him to hit more often, as he's hitting .321/.367/.619 with six homers in 90 plate appearances. It's remained a sacrifice worth making in order to allow him to pitch, however, as he's also recorded a 3.58 ERA and a 32.8 percent strikeout rate through his first six starts on the mound.

Miller is not in the lineup Saturday against the Angels.

Miller has lived up to modest expectations so far this season, hitting .250/.325/.411 with four home runs in 34 games. He'll get the day off Saturday against the left-handed Andrew Heaney, with C.J. Cron playing first base.

Buxton is not in the lineup against Milwaukee on Saturday.

Buxton is just 2-for-23 since returning from a trip to the disabled list with migraines and a fractured toe. On the season, he's hitting just .156/.194/.203. Jake Cave will make his major-league debut in center field in Buxton's place.

Miller went 3-for-5 with a run in a win over the Angels on Friday.

All three hits were singles, but the performance served as Miller's fourth multi-hit effort over the last nine games. A solid month has brought the veteran's season average up 24 points to .250 since May 1, and his slugging percentage vaulted over the .400 mark as well.

Martinez (illness) will DH and bat in the cleanup position against Baltimore on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Martinez was removed from Thursday's game due to a stomach illness but as expected, the slugger won't be forced to miss any additional time. Over 42 games this season, he's slashing .344/.394/.656 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI.

Martinez is expected to play Friday despite leaving Thursday's game due to a stomach illness, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Manager Alex Cora confirmed it after Thursday's win, so JDM's fantasy managers can breathe easier. Martinez had cracked a two-run homer before heading to the sidelines, and Boston seemingly was taking precaution with their masher.