MLB Player News

Martinez (foot) will move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Martinez had just started picking up reps in the outfield and is now ready to step up the level of competition after homering for High-A Lakeland on Saturday. According to manager Brad Ausmus, Martinez could be activated at some point during the upcoming four-game weekend series against the Angels. How he responds to Triple-A pitching will likely be a determining factor in his eventual return date.

Harper (groin) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals are continuing to take the cautious approach with their superstar right fielder, as Sunday marks the third consecutive game that Harper will miss due to his groin injury. Chris Heisey will draw the start in right field in Harper's absence. Though the injury wasn't expected to sideline him for long, we'll have to wait and see if the former MVP will be back in the lineup for Monday's contest against the Orioles.

McCutchen is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

With just three hits through his first six games of May, McCutchen will head to the bench Sunday for a scheduled day of rest. The former MVP has been a disappointment thus far in 2017, but hopefully Sunday's break will allow the veteran outfielder to come back rejuvenated for the team's upcoming seven-game road trip through Los Angeles and Arizona.

Buxton (concussion) is back in the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton has missed back-to-back starts since being lifted from Thursday's game after a collision with the outfield wall, but he has passed concussion tests for multiple days and will now return to action. He'll bat eighth in the order for the series finale.

Martinez (foot) played seven innings in right field and went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's game with High-A Lakeland, Evan Woodbery of MLive reports.

Picking up playing time in the outfield was one of the final hurdles for Martinez, and it seems like everything went off without a hitch Saturday. The Tigers may opt to have their slugging right fielder play a couple more rehab games in the outfield just to get more exposure prior to a return to the big leagues, but a full return appears to be on the horizon. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports that Detroit plans to have Martinez move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, after which a timetable for his return to the majors should become evident.

Buxton (head) said that he passed a concussion test for the third day in a row and was available off the bench Saturday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

While he passed the concussion test, he was still experiencing headaches, so he may not be out of the woods just yet. Consider him questionable for Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox.

Manager Dusty Baker said Harper (groin) is feeling better and might be able to pinch hit Saturday, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

It sounds like Harper was lobbying to start Saturday, but Baker has decided to play it safe and hold his superstar slugger out of the lineup. A Sunday return sounds like a real possibility, but Harper's status for the series finale against Philadelphia won't be known until a couple hours prior to the 1:35 ET first pitch.

Pederson is not in the lineup Saturday against the Padres, David Vassegh of 570 LA Sports reports.

Pederson will head to the bench with southpaw Clayton Richard scheduled to take the mound for the Padres, giving way to Enrique Hernandez in center field. Pederson went hitless in his first game back from the disabled list Friday, though he did draw a walk. He should be back on the lineup card for Sunday's series finale.

Harper (groin) is not in the lineup Saturday against the Phillies, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports.

Although the groin issue isn't thought to be anything overly serious, the Nationals aren't taking any chances with their superstar. Harper will be held out for the second straight game as Rafael Bautista gets his first major-league start in his place. The Nationals remain hopeful that Harper will be able to return to action before the weekend is over.

Miller is starting at second base and hitting in the two-hole Saturday against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

With Kevin Kiermaier dealing with a hand bruise and moved down to the eighth spot, Miller moves up from his regular role in the middle of the order. Perhaps the small change can spark a surge at the plate, where he is 2-for-15 over the past week with eight walks.