MLB Player News

Martinez left Thursday's game against the Orioles due to a stomach illness.

Martinez might have made the Orioles sicker than the stomach bug made him, cranking a shot deep over the center field wall in the first inning to give the Sox a two-run lead. Blake Swihart replaced him in the game, though Martinez was in there for three at-bats and Boston had a big lead, so it seems the slugger has a decent chance at returning for Friday's second game of the series vs. the O's.

Martinez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Athletics.

Martinez's first-inning home run gave the Red Sox an early cushion and was his 12th of the season. If it seems like Martinez is bashing homers every other day, that's because he's hit seven over the last 14 games. After a cold start to the season, Martinez has hit .388/.442/.716 since April 13 and is now tied for second in MLB with 36 RBI.

Alvarez (hand) was placed on the minor-league disabled list Wednesday.

It was originally reported that Alvarez suffered the injury after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, but it turns out the 20-year-old actually sustained the injury in an outfield collision back on May 6. He was apparently able to flex his arm and hand while walking off the field, but hasn't played since and is set to remain sidelined for at least another week. Alvarez was impressing early on in his first taste of Double-A ball, batting .299/.374/.542 with six homers and 26 RBI through 27 games before going down with the injury.

Brantley went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Tigers.

It was his sixth homer of the season and third in the last six games, as Brantley continues to enjoy a fantastic May. The 31-year-old is now hitting a cool .333 (20-for-60) on the month with four home runs, 18 RBI and 14 runs in 14 games.

Canha went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday.

Canha's eighth-inning two-bagger gave the Athletics some valuable breathing room by extending their lead to 5-2. The 29-year-old outfielder's four hits over the last four games have been especially timely, as they've yielded five RBI overall. Factoring in Tuesday's production, Canha sports a career-high slugging percentage (.510) largely on the strength of 12 extra-base hits (six doubles, six home runs).

Soler (ribs) will DH and bat second against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, 610 Sports Radio - Kansas City reports.

Soler was forced to miss Tuesday's game due to a displaced rib that he suffered Monday, but he's apparently feeling good enough to go heading into the series finale. Fortunately, the Royals have a scheduled off day prior to Friday's game versus the Yankees, so Soler will get additional time to rest up following Wednesday's outing.

Lewis (knee) is 2-for-8 with a run scored in two games with High-A Modesto.

Lewis is back in action with the Nuts after missing the first month of the season while recovering from an offseason knee scope. While the 22-year-old prospect certainly carries an enticing set of physical tools when healthy, injuries have cut into his developmental time. Now that he's healthy, he'll look to restore his prospect stock by producing over the course of a full season.

Miller went 1-for-2 with a double and a pair of walks in Tuesday's win over the Royals.

Miller has been hitting better of late with a .286 average (6-for-21) and three extra-base hits over the last six games. With that recent stretch, the 28-year-old is now slashing .235/.321/.418 with four homers and 13 RBI on the year.

Ohtani is tentatively scheduled to start in the series finale against the Rays on Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

It would be the third straight Sunday start for Ohtani as the Angels continue with the six-man rotation, and have yet to start him on less than six days of rest. The 23-year-old is coming off a quality start against the Twins in which he allowed only three hits and racked up 11 strikeouts. Ohtani should see plenty of at-bats prior to Saturday's rest day. He is batting second for Tuesday's game against the Astros.

Soler is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rays due to a displaced rib, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Soler suffered the injury while making a leaping catch during Monday's game. Fortunately, manager Ned Yost said the issue isn't anything serious. The 26-year-old will be available off the bench as a defensive replacement and could ultimately return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale.