MLB Player News

Lewis went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and two walks in Monday's win over the Athletics.

Lewis socked his fourth homer of the season during the third inning against Oakland starter Frankie Montas. The center fielder extended his hitting streak to three games and has recorded at least one knock in four of his last five appearances, though it's worth noting that his power stroke hasn't shown up regularly -- Monday's home run was his first since May 4.

Canha went 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks in Monday's loss against the Mariners.

Canha extended his hitting streak to five games, and he's gone deep three times in that span. He's been a steady source of offensive numbers for the Athletics of late, hitting safely in 11 of his last 12 games with a .326 average and five homers in that stretch.

Mercedes went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Monday's win over the Cardinals.

Mercedes has recorded four multi-hit appearances over his last seven games while going hitless in the other three in that stretch, so he's been quite inconsistent -- which was likely to be the case following his torrid start to the campaign. Still, Mercedes is hitting .279 with a .724 OPS across 74 plate appearances this month.

Buxton (hip) has been swinging in the cage for the past few days and could begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week if he's able to run without issues, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Buxton was one of the best players in the entire league through his first 24 games, hitting .370 with nine homers and five steals. His persistent injury problems aren't going away, however, as he hit the injured list with a strained hip in early May. The Twins have yet to specify an exact timeline for his return, but if he does indeed begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week, he could be back with the team sometime in the first few days of June.

Canha (elbow) will lead off and play left field Monday against the Mariners.

Canha missed Sunday's game against the Angels with a sore elbow, but the injury evidently wasn't a serious one. He certainly hasn't looked like he's playing through pain lately, as he's gone hitless just once in his last 11 games, posting a 1.139 OPS over that stretch.

Choi (knee) isn't expected to miss any additional time, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi was removed from Monday's game against Toronto with right knee soreness, but manager Kevin Cash didn't sound too concerned about the issue after the contest. Even though Choi underwent surgery on the same knee in late March, his soreness is unlikely to have a significant impact on his availability.

Manager Joe Girardi indicated that Harper's absence from the lineup Monday against Miami wasn't related to any injury, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's highly unusual for a healthy superstar to sit two games in a row, but that's supposedly the case for Harper, as the Phillies insist his absences aren't related to the sore shoulder he battled in mid-May. If there's ever a time to give a player of Harper's talent level multiple days off in a row, this would be the time to do it, as he's hitting .080/.115/.080 with a 50 percent strikeout rate over his last seven games.

Stanton (quadriceps) took batting practice on the field Sunday and could return from the injured list Tuesday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

The Yankees have an off day Monday, so a decision on whether to activate Stanton after a minimum IL stay will likely wait until Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone was noncommittal but optimistic about the possibility, indicating that Stanton is "tracking in the right way." "We'll see where we're at Tuesday," Boone added.

Harper remains on the bench for Monday's game in Miami, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

A second straight absence for Harper suggests his off day Sunday wasn't merely a routine one, though the Phillies have yet to specify exactly why he's on the bench. Something is clearly not right with him lately, however, as he's gone hitless in six of his last seven games, striking out in half of his plate appearances over that stretch. Brad Miller starts in right field in his absence.

Choi left Monday's game against the Blue Jays with a sore right knee, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He drew a pair of walks and scored once across his two plate appearances before departing.

Choi underwent surgery on the same knee in late March, so this could be a more concerning issue than most cases of knee soreness. If he's forced to miss an extended period, Mike Brosseau could see an increased role at first base.