MLB Player News

Miller (groin) went 2-for-2 with an RBI single, a double and two walks in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Red Sox.

It was a highly encouraging return for Miller, who was slashing .194/.343/.302 before the groin injury that necessitated his latest DL stint. The 27-year-old was generally swinging the bat well in his rehab starts, so the Rays and fantasy owners certainly hope Friday's effort might be an indication that he'll be able to bounce back to his usual level of production in the second half.

Harper will bat second in the order for Saturday's contest against the Braves, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Harper moves up a spot in the batting order to bat second for the second time in the past month. With Michael Taylor (oblique) landing on the disabled list prior to Friday's game, there isn't a clear-cut answer for who manager Dusty Baker should stick into the two spot, so he will give Harper the opportunity while Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon each move up a spot to go 3-4-5 in the order.

Ford (hamstring) was placed on the 7-day DL at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

He suffered the injury in Thursday's game and will now be out until at least late next week. Ford, 25, is slashing .329/.442/.698 with four home runs and an impressive 5:8 K:BB in 43 at-bats at Triple-A and could be an option to plug the Yankees' hole at first base when he is healthy.

Choi is out of the lineup Saturday against the Brewers.

Choi has started the past two games since getting called up Tuesday, turning heads by launching two-run homers in both contests. He gives way to Austin Romine at first base Saturday, but expect to see the 26-year-old back receiving more opportunities while Tyler Austin (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (illness) remain sidelined.

Goins is not in Saturday's lineup against Houston, as Darwin Barney will instead get the start at second base.

Goins has struggled since taking on the bulk of work at second base for Devon Travis (knee). His lackluster .207 batting average through 193 at-bats has Goins at risk of losing playing time if Barney can put together a solid string of games.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a double and a two-run homer in Friday's win over the Giants.

He's now regained the Marlins' team lead in homers from Marcell Ozuna with 24, and Stanton's hitting .296/.367/.667 with three homers and six RBI through the first week in July. As long as he can stay healthy in the second half, the right fielder seems poised to deliver the kind of monster power performance that's been expected of him ever since he broke into the majors as a 20-year-old in 2010.

Choi went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk Friday against the Brewers.

Choi crushed his second homer of the campaign to erase a one-run deficit for the Yankees in the fourth of a home loss. He's homered in each of his two starts since replacing the DFA'ed Chris Carter in the lineup July 5 while Greg Bird (ankle), Tyler Austin (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (illness) are all on the DL. He's a player to consider using in daily lineups while he remains hot, though his time with the Angels in 2016 would make it seem unlikely that he'll be able to maintain strong production for an extended period of time.

Blackmon went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and three runs scored during Friday's win over the White Sox.

Blackmon shifted down to the three-hole Thursday with Nolan Arenado taking a breather, but the center fielder was right back in the leadoff spot Friday. With a .318/.372/.581 slash line, 19 homers, 60 RBI, seven stolen bases and 70 runs, Blackmon is having another monster fantasy campaign.

Brantley went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and four RBI in Friday's 11-2 win over the Tigers.

That's now three straight multi-hit performances for Brantley, who's hitting .368 (14-for-38) with seven runs and eight RBI in 10 games since recovering from an ankle sprain.

Goins went 0-for-3, dropping his average to a dismal .207, in Friday's loss to Houston.

Goins hasn't made the most of his opportunities since taking over the bulk of work at second base for Devon Travis (knee). He hit just .192 over 52 at-bats in June, and has struck out nine times in his last seven games. Darwin Barney, his top competition, hasn't fared much better this season (.237), but it wouldn't be surprising to see manager John Gibbons move Goins into a bench role after the break.