MLB Player News

Goins is not in Saturday's lineup against Houston, as Darwin Barney will instead get the start at second base.

Goins has struggled since taking on the bulk of work at second base for Devon Travis (knee). His lackluster .207 batting average through 193 at-bats has Goins at risk of losing playing time if Barney can put together a solid string of games.

Choi went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk Friday against the Brewers.

Choi crushed his second homer of the campaign to erase a one-run deficit for the Yankees in the fourth of a home loss. He's homered in each of his two starts since replacing the DFA'ed Chris Carter in the lineup July 5 while Greg Bird (ankle), Tyler Austin (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (illness) are all on the DL. He's a player to consider using in daily lineups while he remains hot, though his time with the Angels in 2016 would make it seem unlikely that he'll be able to maintain strong production for an extended period of time.

Brantley went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and four RBI in Friday's 11-2 win over the Tigers.

That's now three straight multi-hit performances for Brantley, who's hitting .368 (14-for-38) with seven runs and eight RBI in 10 games since recovering from an ankle sprain.

Goins went 0-for-3, dropping his average to a dismal .207, in Friday's loss to Houston.

Goins hasn't made the most of his opportunities since taking over the bulk of work at second base for Devon Travis (knee). He hit just .192 over 52 at-bats in June, and has struck out nine times in his last seven games. Darwin Barney, his top competition, hasn't fared much better this season (.237), but it wouldn't be surprising to see manager John Gibbons move Goins into a bench role after the break.

Lewis is still dealing with knee soreness, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

Lewis was placed on the minor-league DL with soreness in his right knee in mid-June, and is still being hampered by the injury. He played a few games for Rookie-level Arizona during the previous week while on a rehab assignment, but the team will be cautious with their star prospect moving forward.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester and is starting Friday against the Orioles.

Just days after he was sent packing, Vargas has returned, replacing Joe Mauer (back) on the active roster. He will man first base and bat fifth Friday against right-hander Kevin Gausman, but it's uncertain how much time Vargas will see in the immediate future. Miguel Sano has made a couple starts at first base recently, which has allowed the team to fit both Eduardo Escobar and Jorge Polanco into the lineup.

Miller (groin) was activated off the 10-day disabled list prior to Friday's game against Boston, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller has been out since early June with a groin strain, but looked healthy during his five rehab appearances, including a 2-for-4 game with a home run in Wednesday's Triple-A Durham outing. He is back in the lineup at second while batting sixth against the Red Sox on Friday, and should get a majority of the starts at the position, especially with Tim Beckham landing on the DL (ankle) prior to the game.

Miller (groin) was scratched from Triple-A Durham's lineup Thursday, meaning it's likely he'll be activated either Friday or Saturday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The likelihood of the move is made even greater by Tim Beckham's persistent ankle woes, which led to his absence from Thursday's contest against the Red Sox and could well keep him out through the All-Star break. Miller has been hitting well in his rehab and went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Triple-A Durham's win over Charlotte on Wednesday.

Ford is dealing with hamstring tightness and will be further evaluated Friday, Conor Foley of The Times-Tribune reports.

The club is hoping that Ford will not require a stint on the disabled list, but manager Al Pedrique added that the 25-year-old first baseman is dealing with significant hamstring tightness. Ford has adjusted well to Triple-A pitching since being promoted, slashing .282/.417/.692 with eight extra base hits in 39 at-bats.

Brantley was named to the American League All-Star team after being voted in by the players, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Next week's affair in Miami will be Brantley's second All-Star Game, but this one comes with a different narrative. He made his first appearance in 2014, a year in which he won the Silver Slugger Award. This season, the veteran outfielder's numbers are borderline All-Star worthy, but his remarkable comeback from last year's injury-shortened campaign is deserving of the spotlight. Entering Wednesday, Brantley was hitting .297 with five home runs, 31 RBI and eight stolen bases.