MLB Player News

Cabrera is starting as the designated hitter and batting third in Friday's game against the Guardians.

Cabrera got the Tigers' last game off Wednesday, so the veteran ended up with two days of rest in between starts with the team not in action Thursday. Cabrera has a solid .286 batting average, but with Detroit sitting at just 13-25, the 39-year-old may see more regular breaks the rest of the season, especially on games that come before off days in the schedule.

Alvarez will sit Friday against the Rangers.

Alvarez finds himself on the bench for the first time in over a month. He's having a strong season at the plate, hitting .248/.357/.570 with 12 homers, though he's gone hitless in five of his last six games, so a day off will probably do him some good. Michael Brantley will rest his legs as the designated hitter in his absence, with Chas McCormick starting in left.

McCutchen (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

McCutchen has been sidelined the past two weeks after testing positive for the virus, but he'll rejoin Milwaukee's active roster ahead of Friday's matchup with Washington. The 35-year-old has a .240/.291/.350 slash line with two home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs and three stolen bases in 110 plate appearances this year.

Harper (elbow) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old was initially expected to miss only one game after receiving a PRP injection last weekend to address the UCL sprain in his right elbow, but he'll now be sidelined for the fifth straight contest. Harper has been limited to serving as the designated hitter for most of the season due to the injury, though it hasn't affected his ability to hit given his .305/.361/.634 slash line with nine home runs, 27 RBI, 29 runs and six stolen bases. It's unclear when he may be able to rejoin the lineup, and for now he should be considered day-to-day.

Soler (back) will bat third as the designated hitter Friday against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Soler sat out the past two games while battling lower-back stiffness, but he'll return to the lineup for Friday's series opener. The 30-year-old is in the midst of a seven-game hit streak during which he has three home runs and a .940 OPS.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.

Vogelbach started the past nine games and will receive a day off while mired in a 2-for-13 slump, during which he's struck out six times. Yoshi Tsutsugo will serve as the designated hitter while Michael Chavis starts at first base.

Martinez went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored Thursday against the Mariners.

Martinez benefitted from a big offensive performance by the Red Sox -- and Trevor Story in particular -- to score multiple runs for the third time this season. It also marked his third multi-hit effort in his last four starts, during which he's hit one home run while driving in four and scoring five runs. Overall, Martinez has a .344/.383/.582 line across 133 plate appearances on the campaign.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks and two additional RBI during Thursday's 9-6 loss to the Orioles.

Stanton looked recharged after taking the day off Wednesday, notching his first home run in four games and his 11th multi-hit contest of the season. The slugger has 11 home runs and 35 RBI through 35 games and is on pace to top his 35-homer, 97-RBI campaign from last year.

Miller is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros.

The Rangers are facing off against lefty Framber Valdez in the series opener, so the lefty-hitting Miller will head to the bench so Texas can get an extra right-handed bat in the lineup. Miller has made two of his last three starts as a designated hitter, but he may see his pathway to playing time at that spot become more blocked against right-handed pitching following the Rangers' activation of Mitch Garver (elbow) from the 10-day injured list Thursday. Though Garver opened the season as the Rangers' top catcher, he has yet to resume throwing since initially suffering the elbow injury earlier this month, so he'll be limited to a DH-only role in the short term. If Garver ends up clogging up the DH spot against right-handed pitching, the Rangers may have to send third baseman Andy Ibanez or outfielder Eli White to the bench more frequently if they want to keep a spot in the lineup open for Miller.

Brantley is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers.

Brantley started the past 16 games and will receive a day off after posting an .805 OPS during that stretch. Chas McCormick will shift to left field while Jose Siri starts in center.