MLB Player News

Choi went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Red Sox on Friday.

Choi's June surge continued in impressive fashion Friday, as he generated his third two-hit effort over the last four games. The 28-year-old has hit half of his six homers in the last 12 games, a possible sign he may be starting to pick up some steam on the power front. He's also steadily boosted all three components of his season line since May 22, a 15-game stretch during which he's slashed .321/.403/.528 across 62 plate appearances.

Jimenez went 1-for-4 in a 6-4 loss to the Royals on Friday.

Jimenez has hit in three straight games (all singles), just the third time this season he's strung together such a streak. The rookie outfielder isn't making much of an impact for the White Sox with six home runs, 14 RBI and a .383 slugging percentage in 38 games. He talked to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times about feeling the pressure to produce: "When you come in as a rookie, you want to do great. Not good, great," he said. "And sometimes it doesn't work like that right away. That's why I say I have to be patient. I know good things are going to come." One area of improvement is patience at the plate; he has to stop chasing breaking balls outside the zone.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Twins.

It's his second three-hit effort in his last three games, snapping Cabrera out of a 1-for-16 mini-skid. The veteran slugger is still hitting for a solid batting average at .295, but his .386 slugging percentage is the worst mark of his illustrious career and he has just three homers in 57 games. He's tantalizingly close to 500 for his career -- Cabrera's sitting at 468 home runs, tying him with Chipper Jones at 34th on the all-time list -- but it's looking increasingly unlikely that he'll be able to reach the milestone.

Pederson isn't in Friday's starting lineup against the Giants, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

With left-hander Drew Pomeranz set to take the mound Friday evening, Pederson will get the night off. Chris Taylor draws the start in left field and will lead off in Pederson's stead.

Blackmon (calf) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game versus the Mets, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

Blackmon was activated off the 10-day injured list earlier Friday but curiously won't make an immediate return to the starting nine. David Dahl will start in right field while Ian Desmond receives the nod in center field.

Blackmon (calf) was activated off the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's game against the Mets, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon had a successful two-game rehab stint at Triple-A Albuquerque this week to clear the way for his return to the majors. The veteran outfielder is slashing .300/.356/.565 with 13 doubles, five triples and 10 home runs through 46 games and should resume his everyday role in right field for the Rockies.

Martinez (back) is not starting Friday against the Rays, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Martinez left Thursday's game with back spasms and will sit for at least one more game. He's already battled back issues on two previous occasions during the regular season and another time during spring training, though he hasn't yet needed a trip to the injured list. Eduardo Nunez will be the designated hitter Friday.

Carpenter is sitting Friday against the Cubs with a bruised shin but is available off the bench, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter left Thursday's game against the Reds late in the contest after fouling multiple balls off his shin. The injury is serious enough for him to require another day of rest, but a long absence doesn't appear to be on the cards. Jedd Gyorko fills in at third base Friday.

Canha went 1-for-1 with three walks and a run in a win over the Angels on Thursday.

The veteran drew the start at first base over Matt Olson with southpaw Tyler Skaggs on the hill for the Angels, and he served as a thorn in the side of Angles pitching throughout the contest. Canha had only logged a pair of pinch-hit at-bats in the first four games of June prior to Thursday, as the return of Khris Davis to the lineup following his recovery from a hip injury has served to make Canha the odd man out in Oakland's 1B/DH mix.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in a win over the Reds on Thursday.

Ozuna's two hits were just singles, but they served as an extension of the slugger's recent stretch of success at the plate. Ozuna has now boosted his season average 29 points to .255 since May 19, as he's churned out six multi-hit efforts over that span. That includes an impressive start to June, one that's seen him go 6-for-14 with an RBI, a walk, a run and Thursday's steal over his first four games of the month.