MLB Player News

Buxton (undisclosed) is not in Saturday's starting lineup against the Red Sox, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports.

It will be the second consecutive game Buxton misses after he collided hard with an outfield wall in Thursday's loss. The young outfielder is reportedly doing much better after some minor headaches and plans to test it out by taking some swings and running on the field prior to Saturday's game. He could be available in a reserve role if needed, though the Twins will likely exercise caution with rushing him back to action. Max Kepler slides over to fill the void in center field.

Carpenter went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer, three runs and three walks during Friday's win over Atlanta.

Currently sporting an 8-for-27 run at the dish with three home runs, eight runs, 12 RBI and a 1.241 OPS, Carpenter has rounded into form. Hitting third instead of leading off has provided plenty of RBI opportunities early on, and the veteran infielder has a good shot at topping his previous career-high mark of 84 from the 2015 campaign.

Harper (groin) should return to the lineup this weekend, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

The Nats aren't going to take any chances with their superstar slugger, but Harper's groin tweak doesn't appear to be serious. He has 12 career homers at Citizens Bank Park, so anyone with Harper shares has to hope his name is back on the lineup card Saturday.

Pederson (groin) was activated from the DL on Friday.

As expected, Pederson was returned to the active roster ahead of Friday's series opener against the Padres after a brief stint on the disabled list due to a groin injury. Pederson should immediately resume his role as the primary center fielder for Los Angeles, pushing Andrew Toles back to left field. Pederson hit .220/.322/.340 with one home run in 18 games before landing on the DL.

Buxton (undisclosed) is not in the lineup Friday against the Red Sox, Brandon Warne of Zone Coverage reports.

Buxton was removed from Thursday's contest prematurely following a hard collision with the wall. He was able to pass the concussion protocol following his exit, though the Twins are likely holding him out for precautionary reasons. He should be considered day-to-day for now, while more should be known about his status once the Twins provide more information.

Harper is not in the Nationals' lineup Friday after suffering a groin tightness in Thursday's game, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

Harper was removed in the seventh inning of Thursday's win and it appears to have lingered for another day. His absence in the lineup may simply be a precaution, so consider him day-to-day heading into the weekend. Chris Heisey will take over as the primary right fielder in his stead.

Miller is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays.

Daniel Robertson will start at second base. Considering that the Rays will be facing Francisco Liriano, who is known to be a reverse-splits pitcher, it makes sense that they opted for the left-handed-hitting Robertson for Friday's game.

Martinez (foot) is tentatively scheduled to play right field for High-A Lakeland on Saturday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Everything will depend on how Martinez feels coming out of his first rehab game with Lakeland on Friday (in which he'll serve as the DH), but a return to the outfield appears imminent. Playing the outfield and playing the outfield on back-to-back days are probably the final hurdles for Martinez, who is working his way back from a sprained lisfranc ligament in his right foot. He has been logging at-bats in extended spring training over the past week or so.

Martinez (foot) is set to begin a rehab assignment with High-A Lakeland on Friday.

During a Monday DH appearance for extended spring training, Martinez fouled a ball off his left foot -- not his injured right foot -- but X-rays were negative. This upcoming assignment is a positive step for the outfielder, who will rejoin the major-league club sometime next week if all goes well.

Harper was removed from Thursday's contest due to groin tightness, Dan Kolko of MASN reports.

The young superstar was lifted from the game in the seventh inning in favor of Chris Heisey, and although it wasn't revealed at the time, the Nationals seemed to just be playing things safely with Harper while they held the lead. Consider Harper day-to-day for now, with more details on his availability moving forward likely coming as Friday's start time approaches.