MLB Player News

Buxton is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

According to Berardino, manager Paul Molitor relayed that Buxton is feeling fine physically, so the outfielder's absence Sunday is likely just for maintenance purposes. The 24-year-old overcame a bout with migraines in addition to a hairline fracture in his left big toe to return from a month-long absence and start the first three games of the series with the Angels, during which he went 1-for-10 with a double and five strikeouts. Max Kepler will cover center field in Buxton's stead in the series finale.

Carpenter is not in the lineup Sunday against the Padres.

Carpenter will be withheld from the starting lineup for the third consecutive game as the Cardinals close out their four-game series against the Padres. The veteran infielder made a pinch-hit appearance Saturday, so his extended absence does not seem to be injury-related. Manager Mike Matheny may just be looking to give the struggling hitter (.145 average) some time off to reset. Jedd Gyorko draws the start at third base Sunday.

Canha went 2-for-5 with a two-run single in an extra-innings loss to the Yankees on Saturday.

The 29-year-old continued to deliver against Yankees pitching, with Saturday's production making him 3-for-8 with a double, two RBI, two walks and two runs in the first two games of the series. The veteran is parlaying consistent playing time into the best production since his rookie 2015 season, as his line sits at a solid .284/.344/.511 over 96 plate appearances. Moreover, his five home runs match the total he generated last season over 187 trips to the plate, while the two runs he drove in Saturday vaulted him over his 2017 total of 14 by one RBI.

Miller went 2-for-5 with a triple, a solo home run and two runs during a win over the Orioles in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday.

Miller squared up both times he hit safely, especially on his 433-foot shot to right center in the fourth that served as his second homer of May. After a slow start, the 28-year-old is starting to show signs of life at the plate, as he's now hit safely in three straight and six of his last eight games overall.

Carpenter is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres.

Carpenter also hit the bench Friday with left-hander Eric Lauer on the mound for San Diego, but righty Tyson Ross is pitching Saturday, so it's unlikely to be a matchup decision. The Cardinals' veteran infielder has yet to find any consistency this season and is 3-for-25 with 11 strikeouts in the month of May. Hopefully a couple days out of the lineup can help the 32-year-old get back on track.

Canha went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs in a win over the Yankees on Friday.

Canha provided plenty of production out of the bottom of the order, displaying the type of plate discipline that he's increasingly made his norm this season. The 29-year-old is sporting a career-best 8.8 percent walk rate and .341 on-base percentage, numbers that, while not elite, represent a marked improvement from his previous metrics in those categories. Moreover, Canha is complementing his boost in efficiency with improved power, as evidenced by new high-water marks in ISO (.241) and slugging percentage (.518).

Miller went 2-for-4 with a run in a loss to the Orioles on Friday.

It was Miller's first multi-hit game since April 26. The veteran has hit two of his three home runs since April 30, but he's still being hampered by a career-high 28.3 percent strikeout rate over his first 92 plate appearances.

Blackmon went 3-for-6 with a triple and two runs scored in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Blackmon got his first triple of the season off starter Brandon Woodruff in the third, and the three-hit night improves his slash line to .285/.388/.585. The 31-year-old's 11 home runs and 31 runs scored both rank in the top five among MLB outfielders.

Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three runs in the Cardinals' 9-5 victory over the Padres on Friday.

It had been a disappointing start at the plate so far for Ozuna coming off his career-high 37-homer campaign of last season, as this long ball was just his third in 142 at-bats. He's still sporting an underwhelming .261/.293/.359 slash line but hopefully this strong offensive showing is a sign he's in store for a hot streak that will see him start to push his .652 OPS back toward last season's fantastic mark of .924.

Brantley went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a grand slam in Friday's 10-9 loss to the Royals.

Brantley hit the grand slam in the fourth inning to give the Indians a 9-4 advantage, but the offense stalled and bullpen was unable to hold the lead. The home run is the 30-year-old's fourth of the season, and he now has a .327/.362/.542 slash line in 107 at-bats.