MLB Player News

Soler (oblique) is expected to take batting practice this weekend, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

An oblique strain forced Soler to the DL to begin the 2017 season, but he's seemingly close to beginning a rehab assignment. Perhaps the Royals will assign Soler to a minor-league affiliate early next week if all goes well this weekend. Soler struggled during spring training (7-for-49 with 18 strikeouts), but he's expected to have an everyday job in right field waiting for him upon activation.

Goins went 0-for-2 with a walk and struck out once in his first start of the season Tuesday against Milwaukee.

Nearly every Blue Jays player had seen their name grace the starting lineup before the team returned home from a six-game road trip to start the season. Everybody except for Goins, that is. The utility man has carved out a niche as a late-game defensive substitute, but offers little in terms of offensive production. It would take a slew of injuries for Goins to become relevant in any fantasy format.

Manager Brad Ausmus said Tuesday that he does not expect Martinez (foot) will need a full 20-day rehab assignment, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers are not providing a timetable for Martinez's return to action, but the fact that they are talking about a rehab assignments speaks to the outfielder's progress. Ausmus said Martinez is progressing "extremely well," having advanced to regular batting practice Monday. The biggest tests -- namely running and cutting in the outfield -- still await, but a return before the end of the month seems well within the realm of possibility.

Buxton is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Eddie Rosario will start in center field against right-hander Michael Fulmer. Buxton has looked completely lost at the dish early on this season, going 2-for-29 with 17 strikeouts to one walk. A recent move down in the batting order (down to the eight-hole) hasn't helped matters. While the 23-year-old has flashed brilliance on the defensive side, and the team has every incentive to let him learn on the job, Buxton will need to show some signs of improvement to justify a regular spot in the lineup.

Miller is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller will give way to Daniel Robertson at second base after starting eight straight games to begin the 2017 season. The 27-year-old is off to a sluggish start, with five hits (one extra-base hit), six walks and 12 strikeouts in 35 plate appearances. He will get plenty of chances to turn it around, but the Rays may opt to sit Miller occasionally against lefties until he gets it going at the plate.

Brantley went 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI double in the 10th inning Tuesday to give the Indians a 2-1 win over the White Sox.

Shoulder troubles ruined his 2016, but Brantley has looked fully healthy to begin this season, collecting four RBI through his first six games. The Tribe will continue taking it relatively easy on him, resulting in more frequent days off, but the 29-year-old appears ready to once again contribute the solid five-category production he delivered in 2013-15.

Buxton went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers.

He was caught looking all three times, twice by Matt Boyd and once by Justin Wilson. Buxton's big finish to last season seems like a distant memory, as he's hitting .069 (2-for-29) to begin 2017 with a shocking 1:17 BB:K. Until he climbs his way out of this slump, the 23-year-old should be far away from any active fantasy rosters.

Goins is starting at third base and hitting ninth Tuesday against the Brewers.

Josh Donaldson was held out of Tuesday's lineup with a calf injury, giving way to Goins at third base. Goins has appeared at the plate once this season and has slashed just .223/.270/.324 in his major-league career, but could appear in the lineup until Donaldson is back in full health.

Martinez (foot) took regular batting practice Monday and is slightly ahead of schedule in his recovery, the Detroit News' Chris McCosky reports.

It sounds like he is nearing a rehab assignment, but that situation is still a little up in the air. He will likely head to High-A Lakeland at first, then eventually move to Triple-A Toledo, per McCosky, with a potential return to the big leagues in late April.

Cabrera went 2-for-5 in Sunday's loss to the Red Sox, recording his first two hits of the season.

Cabrera had four straight 0-for-3 efforts before getting two knocks Sunday. The 33-year-old is one of the best hitters in baseball, and there's a good chance that a multi-game hitting streak is on the horizon.