MLB Player News

Mariners shortstop Brad Miller went 3 for 3 with a solo home run in a 4-2 loss to the A's on Friday. With 11 homers, 22 doubles and 13 steals this season, Miller is finding his way in the lineup nearly every day.

The lefty is a breakout candidate next year, as a 20-20 season seems very possible with the profile he provides. The next big step will be to move up higher in the order and that'll only increase his value.

Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (finger) is in the starting lineup Friday.

Manager Terry Collins gave Cespedes the night off Thursday in order to give his injured finger a bit of rest, however it looks like he will be reinserted into center field for Friday's contest against the Nationals' lefty Gio Gonzalez.

Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf went 1 for 3 with a two-run home run in a 3-0 win over the Mets on Thursday.

Ruf is finally getting regular at-bats down the stretch run and responding well. The righty has four home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI over his last nine games. Ruf has always shown potential, but has struggled against right-handed pitching this season.

In fact, Ruf is hitting .164 against righties and .374 off lefties this season. The 1.091 OPS against southpaws is an absurd number and if he could just carry some of that power over to right-handed pitching, Ruf would become a fantasy asset.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has some swelling in his arm after getting hit by a pitch Wednesday against San Francisco, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. He is out of the lineup Thursday.

There is no news on x-rays, so it must not be serious.

Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (finger) remains out Thursday against Philadelphia.

Cespedes had to leave the game Wednesday after taking a pitch off his hand, but was given good news when only finger contusions were discovered on the ensuing x-rays. Nonetheless, it's not overly surprising to see manager Terry Collins give the outfielder the day off in order to provide his fingers with time to heal before the playoffs.

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler is out of the lineup Thursday against the Reds.

Soler will sit for the second time this series. He has just one hit in the last seven days, so his lineup spot won't necessarily be a lock for every postseason contest.

Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez went 3 for 4 with a double Wednesday night in a loss to the Rangers.

It's his 32nd double (155 games) which is a surprisingly low tally considering he cracked 30 in 123 games in 2014. But he has converted some of those doubles into a remarkable 38 home runs this year. This is the second season where Martinez has delivered great numbers for fantasy owners, so the production is real. And at just 28, he should be able to deliver a few more seasons of strength before a slight taper is noticed.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter got on base four times in the nightcap of Wednesday's doubleheader against Pittsburgh, recording a double, a triple, two walks and three runs.

That's a 4 for 7 day -- with all four hits going for extra bases -- and five runs for Carpenter, pushing him to 101 trips around the bases on the year. He's been racking up multi-hit games lately like it's his job. Oh, wait, it is his job.

X-rays on the left hand of Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes came back negative, as the outfielder has been diagnosed with a contusion of the left, middle and ring fingers.

Cespedes appears to have dodged a bullet here, as a broken hand would have likely ended the year of the late-season acquisition. Nonetheless, Cespedes could be operating at less than 100 percent during the season's final weeks, as the outfielder could still have trouble gripping a bat.

With the NL East wrapped up, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cespedes get some rest during the last few games of the regular season. For now, at least, Mets fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins got on base all six times up Wednesday, going 5 for 5 with four singles, a double, a walk, an RBI and three runs in a 15-2 rout of the Orioles.

That's as many hits as Goins picked up in his last nine games put together. He's been seeing everyday playing time lately, but entered Wednesday's action hitting only .235 in September. It was a nice day, but there's not much to see here from a fantasy perspective.