MLB Player News

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera went 3 for 4 in Friday's win over Chicago. 

Cabrera hit three doubles, giving him 16 for the season. He also drove in his 53rd run. 

"He's the best hitter in the game. You try to limit what's going on," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Cabrera. "You try to keep him in the yard. It's hard to do. It sounds crazy, but if he just hits a single, you're like, 'OK, we'll work with that.' And he didn't hit too many singles. He doesn't hit too many singles

Cabrera has hit in five straight games, with multi-hit games in four of them. He's 10 for his last 20. 

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton will be sent for X-rays on his left hand on Saturday. Stanton experienced pain while swinging the bat in Friday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers. He struck out three times, and the pain got worse each time.

"On the swing, my bat dug into my hand a little bit," Stanton said, per the Miami Herald. "Didn't feel the greatest. Will just get it checked out and know for sure what's going on. My level of concern will be when I know exactly what's up."

Any absence by Stanton would be a huge blow to the Marlins, as he currently leads the league with 26 home runs. His availability for Saturday's game, and the rest of the series, is certainly in question at this point.

Twins manager Paul Molitor mentioned that rookie center fielder Byron Buxton is expected to miss about 4-6 weeks with a sprained left thumb, according to MLB.com. 

Buxton was added to the disabled list on Friday, after he injured the thumb attempting to steal during Thursday's game. 

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler tested out his sprained ankle by running the bases on Friday. No immediate issues were reporting, and Soler could be able to start a rehab assignment within the next few days, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 

A right leg issue has Nationals slugger Bryce Harper sitting again Friday night in Philadelphia.

Harper, who was also sidelined Thursday, was originally considered to be dealing only with a cramp. 

Manager Matt Williams said Harper's hamstring is feeling better. He also said Harper underwent an MRI, which revealed no major damage, but Harper will take at least one more day of rest before returning to the lineup.

He is enjoying a breakout season with a slash line of .340/.466/.719.

Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez homered for the second straight game and fifth time in four games during an 8-7 loss to the White Sox on Thursday. Martinez connected for a two-run homer off Carlos Rodon in the fifth inning.

Martinez, who has 18 home runs, has homered nine times since June 7. He is batting .333 (19 for 57) with an .842 slugging percentage, 1.219 OPS, two doubles, 22 RBI, 10 runs, three walks and 10 strikeouts in his last 15 games.

The Twins made the surprising announcement Friday that rookie center fielder Byron Buxton was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a left thumb sprain, which he suffered Tuesday against the White Sox while attempting to steal second base.

Twins manager Paul Molitor told Go 96.3 FM that Buxton will likely be out longer than the minimum 15 days on the disabled list.

"(Buxton) is going to have to back off a while, probably at least a month," Molitor said.

The Twins recalled Danny Santana from Triple-A Rochester to replace Buxton, who is batting .189 (7 for 37) with no home runs, no RBI, five runs, two walks, 15 strikeouts and one stolen base in 11 games since his highly anticipated promotion from the minors.

Buxton entered the season as the top prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. Baseball America had him ranked as the second-best prospect.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt flashed his speed in Thursday's 13-8 win over the Padres. Belt went 3 for 5 with a pair of triples, an RBI and a run scored. 

Even with the three-hit effort, Belt is still batting just .158 (6 for 38) with 16 strikeouts over his last 10 games. 

After sustaining a minor injury to his right leg Wednesday, the Nationals held outfielder Bryce Harper out of Thursday's lineup against the Braves, reports The Washington Post. The original injury was thought to be a cramp.

Harper was replaced by Clint Robinson in right field. Over his last seven games, Harper is hitting .370 with three home runs and seven RBI.

The Nationals are favored (-155) over the Braves on Thursday.

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson was not in the lineup for Thursday's contest at the Chicago Cubs, reports MLB.com.

He was replaced in center field by Enrique Hernandez, who will also bat first. Over his last eight games, Pederson is hitting .208 with two home runs and four RBI.

The Dodgers are the underdogs (+128) at Chicago on Thursday.