MLB Player News

Mariners infielder Brad Miller had another solid game Monday against the Rangers, his second multi-hit effort in the last three games.

Miller played a big part in the 4-1 win, as he broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with a two-run triple. He finished the game 2 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored.

Miller is now 8 for 20 with four extra-base hits and six RBI in seven games in September, raising his season line to .217/.289/.366 in 336 at-bats.  

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who hobbled off the field in the seventh inning Sunday after aggravating his injured ankle, was back in the starting lineup Monday against the Royals, but at DH.

Cabrera has been dealing with a bone spur in his right ankle for several weeks, prompting speculation that he'll need surgery in the offseason. But manager Brad Ausmus said that's not necessarily the case.

"I don't know where that came from, because we don't know what is going to happen," he said. "The consensus is that there's one spur causing the aggravation."

Cabrera hasn't let the injury slow him at the plate. He's batting .500 (15 for 30) with five home runs in his last seven games.

If you own Tyler Flowers, Brandon Moss, Brandon Phillips, Lonnie Chisenhall or Elvis Andrus or Marcell Ozuna Fantasy, you may want to sit them for Fantasy Week 24 (Sept. 8-14).

See the latest Start and Sit Hitters to find out why.

The Cubs left Jorge Soler out of the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Pirates. Ryan Kalish was listed as the team's starting right fielder.

Soler had started the last five games, and had started nine of the 11 games on the Cubs' schedule since his Aug. 27 major league debut.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera put together yet another productive effort Saturday, though it came in a 5-4 loss to the Giants.

Cabrera went 2 for 4 for his fifth multi-hit performance in the last six games, and both of his hits were big ones. He clubbed a pair of home runs in the game, and finished with three RBI and two runs scored in the loss.

Cabrera has four home runs in the first six games of September, besting his total from the previous two combined. He is hitting .309/.369/.513 with 21 home runs and 97 RBI in a down season.

The Marlins got a big contribution from outfielder Marcell Ozuna Friday, as he led the way in an 11-3 win over the Braves.

Ozuna had four hits in five trips to the plate Friday, including a pair of doubles en route to a four-RBI game. He scored twice as well, while avoiding a strikeout for the first time in six games.

Ozuna has been inconsistent recently, with three multi-hit games and four hitless performances over his last seven games. He is hitting .264/.313/.441 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI over 137 games in his first full season. 

Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas went 2 for 5 with a home run and three RBI in his team's 11-4 win over the White Sox Wednesday.

Vargas has been on a roll recently, homering in back-to-back games while going 9 for 26 over his current six-game hitting streak. He grabbed an RBI on a fifth-inning single before smacking a two-run home run one inning later. Vargas has hit .319/.340/.511 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 135 at-bats. Despite the high rate stats, he still owns an ugly 37:4 K:BB ratio.

The most notable part of Joc Pederson's first major-league start Tuesday is that it came with this comment from manager Don Mattingly:

"The one thing about Joc that everyone in the organization is pretty much in concert with is, this guy is our best defensive center fielder," Mattingly told the Los Angeles Times. "He's probably the only true center fielder we have at this point."

Pederson was filling in for a slumping Yasiel Puig then, but sure enough, even with Puig's return to the lineup, there he was again in center field Wednesday against the Nationals. Puig had moved over to right.

It's a big deal because, as I pointed out in my latest post to the Fantasy Baseball Today blog, Pederson was a George Springer-level offensive force at Triple-A Albuquerque prior to his promotion, batting .303 with 33 homers, 30 steals and a 1.017 OPS in 445 at-bats. Hitter-friendly league or not, those numbers are intimidating.

If his glove keeps him in the lineup, he could end up making a big contribution in Fantasy. Certainly in five-outfielder leagues, he's well worth a flier.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 4-3 loss to the Mets Wednesday.

After struggling at the end of August, Stanton's bat has heated up with the turn of the calendar, and he's now homered in three straight games to open the month. He has hit .295/.402/.566 with 36 home runs, 102 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 512 at-bats.

Royals infielder Christian Colon is dealing with a fractured finger, according to FoxSports.

Colon injured himself during the second inning Tuesday. He remained in the game initially, but was forced out to begin the fourth inning. Colon recorded a sacrifice bunt in his only appearance.