MLB Player News

Martinez (foot) will start in right field and bat fifth Monday against the Royals.

Martinez ended up exiting Sunday's game against the White Sox after experiencing renewed soreness in his right foot, but that departure was for precautionary purposes more than anything else. After receiving some treatment, Martinez is feeling well enough to man the field again and looks like a safe activation heading into the upcoming week. Despite opening the season on the disabled list with a sprained Lisfranc ligament in the foot, Martinez hasn't missed a beat since returning from the disabled list in mid-May, slashing .298/.452/.766 over 62 plate appearances.

Canha is out of the lineup Monday against the Indians.

A day after leading off for the Athletics, Canha will head to the bench while Matt Joyce takes over in right field. Canha went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the leadoff hitter, so it's unlikely that he'll see that spot in the order too often.

Brantley went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run during Sunday's win over Kansas City.

Brantley has started 40 of 48 games this season and sports a .304/.375/.456 slash line with five homers, 21 RBI, five stolen bases and 21 runs. After being limited to just 11 games in 2016, the outfielder's five-category production has Brantley back on the radar as a set-and-forget asset in the majority of settings. Hitting in the heart of the dangerous Cleveland lineup is a cushy fantasy setup, too.

Vargas went 0-for-8 with four strikeouts in Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Rays in 15 innings.

The ugly performance lowered Vargas' slash line to .258/.280/.483 in 93 plate appearances. Soon after, he was demoted to Triple-A Rochester. The switch-hitting power bat has managed five home runs on the year but has fanned 22 times (23.7 percent strikeout rate) and is unlikely to carry a respectable average for his fantasy owners whenever he gets back to the bigs. He's also been much more effective against righties (.362 with all five dingers) than lefties (.087).

Martinez is still dealing with some soreness in his foot and was removed from Sunday's game against the White Sox as a precaution, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Martinez sprained his foot in mid-March during spring training and didn't make his debut with the big club until May 12 as a result. It doesn't sound like he's in danger of missing much -- if any -- time, but owners should nonetheless monitor his status closely as the team's series in Kansas City kicks off Monday. Consider Martinez day-to-day for now.

Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Rochester.

He went 0-for-8 with four strikeouts in Sunday's extra-inning game. Still, this is a surprising move as Vargas had become a regular in the lineup. The Twins likely made it since Vargas has minor league options and the team needed extra relievers after a long game. If so, he may not be in Triple-A for too long. Robbie Grossman could get more at-bats at designated hitter as a result.

Soler is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Soler will hit the bench for a fifth consecutive game, signaling that he's no longer being viewed as the Royals' primary right fielder. Jorge Bonifacio has since assumed those duties and has gone on a power binge with four homers and nine RBI over his past eight contests. Unless Bonifacio rapidly cools, Soler, who is batting just .157 on the season, may need an injury to hit the outfield before he starts seeing regular at-bats again.

Goins is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers.

Though he was rested Saturday, Troy Tulowitzki experienced no issues with his hamstring in his return from the disabled list Friday and looks poised to take back his usual duties at the everyday shortstop, leaving no regular spot in the lineup for Goins. The 28-year-old could still receive a couple starts per week at either second base or shortstop when manager John Gibbons chooses to give either Devon Travis or Tulowitzki a day off.

Canha will start in center field and lead off for the Athletics in Sunday's game against the Yankees.

Canha will take Rajai Davis' spot in the field and the batting order in the series finale, marking his third consecutive start. Though Canha's starting opportunities have been on the rise lately, his at-bats could dwindle during the upcoming week now that Yonder Alonso (wrist) has been cleared to return to the lineup. Canha should at least see regular duties against left-handed pitching, however.

Martinez is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

The foot injury that sidelined him to begin the year has not prevented him from raking since returning to action, but it is understandable that the Tigers would want to give him a break for one of the two games Saturday. Tyler Collins will start in right field and hit seventh.