MLB Player News

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Soler (oblique) could begin a rehab assignment later this week, Josh Vernier of 610 AM Sports Radio reports.

There was some thought that Soler might be cleared to play in minor league games as soon as Monday after he was able to take part in batting practice Saturday. However, since the outfielder was still experiencing some tightness with his oblique, the Royals want to give him a couple extra days off. It's not considered a major setback for Soler, who could head to the minors by the weekend if the soreness dissipates. Once he eventually rejoins the Royals, Soler will compete with Paulo Orlando for starting duties in right field.

Martinez (foot) will join the Tigers in Tampa for their upcoming series with the Rays and is scheduled to take batting practice Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The Tigers have no plans to activate Martinez from the disabled list during the Rays series, as he still hasn't been cleared to take part in outfield drills. Before the Tigers allow him to do so, Martinez will need to run with at least 80 percent of his body weight on an Alter-G treadmill, but it's unclear when that might happen. Look for manager Brad Ausmus to continue to go with a platoon of Tyler Collins and Mikie Mahtook in right field until Martinez is activated.

Winker was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

Winker was brought up by the Reds as a short-term fill-in for one of their final bench spots. During this short stint, the outfielder went 1-for-2 at the plate with a double in two pinch-hit appearances. This definitely won't be the last we see of Winker this season, but fantasy owners will have to wait a bit longer to see consistent production in the majors.

Brantley will be used judiciously throughout April and possibly longer, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Brantley, who played just 11 games last season due to shoulder problems, is being carefully deployed by manager Terry Francona in the early portion of 2017 in hopes of conserving the outfielder for later in the season. The Indians have been resting Brantley against selected lefties since the start of the year, and Francona says the practice will continue at least through April. Through 33 at-bats, the 29-year-old is slashing .242/.324/.394 with three extra-base hits and 10 strikeouts.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 in Saturday's loss to the Indians, his second two-hit effort in as many days. He also drove in one and scored a run.

Cabrera didn't record a hit through the first four games of the season, but he's hitting .320 since then. He seems back to his old self.

McCutchen launched a three-run homer -- his second home run in three games -- against the Cubs on Saturday.

He celebrated Jackie Robinson Day in style, moving past Barry Bonds for fourth place in career home runs among Pirates with 177. McCutchen also extended his hitting streak to seven games with the effort.

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

With southpaw Patrick Corbin set to take the mound, Trayce Thompson will get the start in center field while Pederson heads to the bench. With Thompson back in the majors, it appears manager Dave Roberts will look to occasionally deploy him against lefties over Pederson.

Cespedes is batting third and playing left field Saturday against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cepsedes is back in the lineup for the Mets after taking a seat with the flu Friday. He'll look to pick up right where he left off, as the 31-year-old was 7-for-14 with five home runs and nine RBI in the three games before his day off.

Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Yankees.

Carpenter opened the scoring on the night with a 421-foot shot to right in the first off Masahiro Tanaka, giving the Cardinals the early 2-0 lead. While his average sits at a pedestrian .219, the 31-year-old infielder has reached safely in five straight and knocked in three runs over the last two contests.

Belt is not in the lineup Saturday against Colorado, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Belt has notched three home runs and seven RBI thus far, but he's hitting just .191 through his first 47 at-bats. He'll get the day off Saturday as the Giants go with Conor Gillaspie at first base.