MLB Player News

Miller is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash has all but rid his lineup of lefty bats to counter left-hander J.A. Happ, with the lone exception being center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. The benching should not come as a surprise, as Miller has logged just 11 at-bats against southpaws so far this season. The 26-year-old's overall line against right-handers leaves a lot to be desired, but he's picked it up a bit of late, earning some time in the two-hole against righties.

Goins went 1-for-4 with a ninth-inning solo homer in Friday's 6-1 victory over the Rays.

The second baseman launched his first long ball of the season with two outs in the ninth off veteran southpaw Dana Eveland. Despite the home run, Goins continues to struggle at the plate, as in the midst of a 2-for-26 slump. The 28-year-old is slashing .181/.213/.264 over 72 at-bats in 2016.

Miller went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk in Friday's 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

After a terrible start to his Rays tenure, Miller is starting to show signs of life, hitting .353 with three doubles and a pair of RBI over his last five games. Miller is still hitting just .172 however, a testament to how truly atrocious his first two weeks of the season were.

Goins is in no immediate danger of losing his spot to Devon Travis (shoulder), who has begun his rehab assignment after having off-season surgery, MLB.com reports.

Second base belongs to Goins, and while that could eventually change, Travis will need to earn his spot on the field. Goins could speed up that timeline if he continues to struggle with the bat, but the Blue Jays are content with his defense and seem to be in no hurry to make a move.

Brantley went 1-for-3 with a walk, a steal and a run against the Twins on Wednesday.

After an 0-for-4 performance in his first start of the year, Brantley got started on filling the back of his baseball card in this one. If he can stay on the field moving forward, Brantley should be a lock for double-digit homers and steals, with a shot at joining the 20-20 club for the second time.

Martinez knocked in four RBI with a home run and a double in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Oakland.

It was a big night for the outfielder after coming in hitless in his previous eight at-bats. He hasn't exactly shown the power yet that helped him hit a career-high 38 homers last season, but Wednesday's game was a good sign. With a .293 average for the season, Martinez is still a solid fantasy play.

Brantley is in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

Brantley was activated off the disabled list Monday but was held out of the starting lineup, so Tuesday will mark his first start of the season. He lined out as a pinch hitter Monday, but he'll man left field and bat clean up against Ricky Nolasco on Tuesday.

Goins is not in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports.

Goins is 0-for-18 over his last five games, dropping his season average down to .172, so he'll receive his second day off in the last three games. Darwin Barney will take over at the keystone in his stead and bat eighth.

Cabrera broke out of his early-season slump in a big way, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored on Monday against the Athletics.

Cabrera was held out of the lineup on Sunday to try to break him out of his funk, and it worked like a charm. The star first baseman raised his batting average from .206 to .254 with the big day. Cabrera now has three home runs and 10 RBI for the season.

Canha came off the bench to go 1-for-2 with an RBI single in Monday's loss to the Tigers.

Canha made his first appearance of the year at third base in this one, having already logged time at first base and both corner outfield spots. Canha hasn't been hitting very well to start the season, sporting a .179 batting average. However, he has three home runs in just 28 at-bats this year after launching 16 a year ago. As long as he continues to get time in the lineup, Canha will remain a power threat for the A's.