MLB Player News

Manager Brad Ausmus reiterated Wednesday that he believes Cabrera (groin) will be ready to be activated from the DL on May 2, when first eligible, the Detroit News' Chris McCosky reports.

This has been the theme throughout Cabrera's stay on the DL, and his status continues to trend upward. He did infield drills Wednesday. In the meantime, John Hicks is starting at first base and hitting sixth against lefty James Paxton.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.

Though the Mariners are without two key position players Wednesday in Mitch Haniger (oblique) and Kyle Seager (hip), manager Scott Servais is reluctant to expose Vogelbach to left-handed pitching, so the rookie will sit with southpaw Daniel Norris on the bump for the Tigers. Danny Valencia, who occupies the smaller side of a platoon with Vogelbach, will draw the start at first base and bat sixth in the order.

Soler (oblique) is 4-for-17 with two home runs, four RBI and a 2:5 BB:K through five rehab games with Triple-A Omaha.

Soler hit his second homer with Omaha on Tuesday, a solo shot in the first inning off Odrisamer Despaigne. Manager Ned Yost did not offer up a possible return date for Soler when asked Tuesday, according to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star, but it would not be a surprise if the team was to activate Soler this weekend or early next week. The Royals could use a jolt on offense, as they currently rank dead last in the majors in runs scored (52).

Brantley went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Astros.

Brantley's fourth homer of the season, and second in as many contests, extended his hitting streak to nine games. Since April 13, the outfielder is slashing .368/.429/.737 with all four of his bombs, seven RBI and 10 runs. It's safe to say Brantley is back to being the elite player that he was before 2016's lost campaign.

Buxton went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Rangers.

Perhaps most importantly, he didn't strike out. Buxton's now 4-for-11 over his last four games with a 3:4 BB:K, but he'll need to keep working on his contact skills and plate discipline to significantly improve his dreadful .379 OPS.

Vargas went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Rangers.

The homer was his first in three games since being recalled from Triple-A. Vargas has another 10 days or so to prove he belongs in the majors until the Twins need to make a roster move to add a fifth starter, but so far the 26-year-old is doing exactly that, slashing .333/.455/.667.

Cabrera (groin) participated in workouts Tuesday, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports.

Cabrera's workout included riding an exercise bike. Manager Brad Ausmus said that Cabrera was feeling better, so it would appear that he could still be on track to return when he's eligible on May 2. Until Cabrera is back in action, Alex Avila and John Hicks will split time at first base.

Martinez (foot) ran again Monday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The slugger continues to work out without any issues, with this being his second running outing since Friday. If everything checks out in the next day or so, Martinez could head out on a rehab assignment before returning to Detroit.

Miller went 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI, a run and two walks during Sunday's loss to Houston.

After breaking out with a 30-home run campaign in 2016, Miller has just a single round tripper and an underwhelming .246/.358/.420 slash line this season. This was also just his fourth multi-hit game of the year. He'll probably continue to hit in the heart of the order against right-handed pitchers, which will help his counting stats, but his current 29.6 percent strikeout rate is a concern.

Goins will start at shortstop and bat ninth in the order Sunday against the Angels, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

It's the fourth start in a row for Goins, who looks poised to hold down a full-time role in the short term following Troy Tulowitzki's (hamstring) placement on the disabled list Saturday. Goins has shown some decent plate discipline in the past, but with little power or speed to speak of and a career .224 batting average, there's little fantasy upside to be mined here.