MLB Player News

Miller will start at shortstop and serve as the Brewers' leadoff man in Sunday's game against the Reds.

Miller has appeared in all seven of the Brewers' games since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on June 23, starting in five of them. He'll draw his fourth straight start Sunday and appears to be the club's primary shortstop for the time being, with the demotion of Orlando Arcia to Triple-A prior to the series finale giving Miller additional job security. Miller will also lead off for the third consecutive game, though he'll be at risk at dropping in the order if Lorenzo Cain (groin) returns from the disabled list Wednesday against the Twins when first eligible, as is expected.

Ohtani (elbow) will take live batting practice Sunday and is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list at some point during the upcoming week, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani endured no complications with his sprained right elbow while taking batting practice Friday and hitting in a simulated game Saturday, so he'll face live pitching again Sunday with the hope of proving to the Angels that he's ready for reinstatement. The right-hander has yet to resume a throwing program and isn't expected to take part in any mound work until at least late July, as the Angels will re-evaluate him after the All-Star break to see if a platelet-rich plasma injection has alleviated the pain he's experiencing in his elbow. It appears the injury won't hinder him at the plate, however, so Ohtani should soon be available to serve as the primary designated hitter for the Angels. He could be activated as soon as Tuesday, when the team opens a three-game series with the Mariners.

Winker is out of the lineup Sunday against the Brewers, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After starting the first three games of the series, Winker will head to the bench in favor of Adam Duvall (left) and Scott Schebler (right). It was a productive June for the 24-year-old outfielder, as Winker had a .944 OPS with five home runs and 20 RBI.

McCutchen went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

McCutchen's slugging percentage and batting average both increased significantly throughout June, so it was appropriate the he ended the month on a strong note. He has 12 three-hit performances and six home runs in the past 30 days, so it appears that he may once again break out of an early-season slump to post solid season-long numbers.

Martinez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in a win over the Yankees on Saturday.

Martinez joined the party against Sonny Gray and the mop-up members of New York's bullpen. While he didn't leave the yard in this one, the three-hit effort broke his 0-or-7 slide from his previous two contests, and he keeps his perch as the major-league leader with 25 homers while increasing his MLB-best RBI total to 67. It's been another phenomenal season for the 30-year-old that should book him for an All-Star spot.

Turner will get the day off Saturday against the Rockies.

Turner has eight hits and three homers in his last last 19 at-bats but will nonetheless take a seat. Max Muncy will slide over to third base in his place.

Ohtani (elbow) took live batting practice and participated in a simulated game prior to Saturday's game in Baltimore.

It's the second straight day of batting practice for Ohtani, and facing live pitchers during the simulated game represents a big step for his potential return as a designated hitter. The Angels indicated the 23-year-old's pitching prospects for 2018 will be reevaluated in three weeks after he receives a PRP injection, but he could seemingly return to the team as a DH as soon as next week's series in Seattle.

Manager Paul Molitor said Saturday that there's no guarantee Buxton (toe) will be recalled once his 20-day rehab assignment ends, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton is currently on Day 12 of his latest rehab stint, so the Twins have roughly a week to make a decision. The 24-year-old has hit safely in six of nine games since reporting to Triple-A Rochester, but only once has he had multiple hits, leading to a .206/.250/.324 slash line. It sounds like the Twins want Buxton to get more comfortable at the plate while also giving Jake Cave a bit more time to make an impression.

Cespedes (hip/quad) has still not begun running again, and he didn't join his teammates in the clubhouse for this weekend's series in Miami despite the fact that he's rehabbing at the Mets' spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, just a couple of hours away, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports. "He's not going to join us here in Miami," manager Mickey Callaway announced Friday afternoon. "We thought it would probably hinder his rehab to come here for a couple days. We'll keep him in Port St. Lucie and continue what he's doing."

Unfortunately, what Cespedes is doing right now still doesn't amount to much, and his timetable for a return to the big-league lineup remains very murky. Callaway did say the outfielder was "feeling a lot better," but given his inactivity and long layoff, activation from the disabled list before the All-Star break is basically off the table at this point, and it's possible Cespedes may not even return by the end of July if he doesn't show real progress soon.

Harper went 1-for-3 with three walks, three runs scored and three RBI in Friday's rout of the Phillies.

The homer was his first since June 9 and his 20th of the season, moving Harper into a tie with Nolan Arenado for the National League lead. While he hasn't been putting the ball over the fence much, Harper has otherwise looked like his usual self recently, slashing .290/.465/.613 over his last 10 games with eight of his nine hits going for extra bases (seven doubles, one home run) and an 11:9 BB:K.