MLB Player News

Martinez's return from a broken elbow is "still a few weeks off, probably, " according to manager Brad Ausmus, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Martinez could still return during his estimated recovery timetable, which was set at 6-to-8 weeks following his mid-June injury, but it appears likely his absence will stretch into August. He is not yet ready to face live pitching, and will almost certainly require a rehab assignment before rejoining the big league club. Steven Moya and Mike Aviles figure to continue sharing the left-field duties in Martinez's place.

Pederson (shoulder) went 1-for-2 with two walks in a rehab game with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.

Pederson saw the ball well Friday in his first game action since June 28. He is expected to play at least another game or two in the minors before potentially returning to the Dodgers on Tuesday.

McCutchen went 1-for-4 and stole his third base of the season Friday in Washington.

The center fielder's stolen base was just his third in eight attempts and his head-first slide shows he might be getting a bit more aggressive on the bases. McCutchen holds a modest four-game hitting streak (7-for-16) with three extra-base hits as he tries to rebound from a miserable first half.

Brantley (shoulder), who will move his rehab to Double-A Akron on Friday, hopes to play in consecutive games soon, MLB.com reports.

Brantley could be playing consecutive games by the start of next week as he works his way back. The Indians want Brantley to be able to handle a heavy load upon his return to the lineup so he'll need to prove he can handle consecutive games without incident in his rehab program as a first hurdle.

Reed is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Marwin Gonzalez will get the nod at first base with the Astros facing lefty James Paxton to kick off the second half. The 23-year-old Reed hasn't exactly hit the ground running since his promotion from Triple-A (5-for-35, 16 strikeouts), but the Astros figure to let the slugger learn on the job while serving on the large end of a first-base platoon.

Buxton (knee) is back in the lineup Friday against the Indians.

The 22-year-old was carted off the field last week after a collision with the outfield wall, leading many to fear the worst. However, X-rays were negative and an MRI later confirmed that Buxton's knee is fine structurally. He will slot back into center field and the nine-hole against right-hander Carlos Carrasco after missing just two starts, and the last-place Twins figure to continue giving Buxton regular time in the second half despite his disappointing performance so far this season.

Cespedes (quadriceps) is out of Friday's lineup against the Phillies.

He took batting practice Friday in Philadelphia, but is still not ready to return to action after suffering a right quadriceps strain a week ago. Juan Lagares will start in center field and hit eighth Friday.

Winker (wrist) went 0-for-4 in his first game back with Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

After four games with the team's rookie-level affiliate, Winker was thrust back up atop the minor league ladder. Winker, who missed a month due to a wrist injury, has managed just two home runs in 56 games with Louisville this season and hasn't even attempted a stolen base, but he has more walks (33) than strikeouts (32) and that plate discipline could earn him a September promotion.

Soler (hamstring) is unsure when he will be ready to return to action, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago.

Soler said he was feeling "good" when asked Friday, but he did not provide a hint as to when he will be ready to rejoin the Cubs. The team figures to continue using several players in left field while Soler remains sidelined.

Pederson (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City and could return to the Dodgers by Tuesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson was not cleared to swing a bat as of one week ago, but he has progressed over the last few days and is ready to set out on a rehab assignment. According to Gurnick, it could be a quick tuneup of a rehab assignment with Tuesday being the targeted return date. Once Pederson returns, he'll add a powerful left-handed bat to a lineup that was middling through the first half of the season.