MLB Player News

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.

Winker went 2-for-5 with a home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.

Winker has gone deep in three straight games and in four of his last six contests, racking up five homers -- out of nine hits -- during that stretch. The slugging outfielder now has 13 homers on the season and is just three shy of tying his career-best mark of 16, established during the 2019 season.

Lewis went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, HBP and strikeout as Seattle lost 9-2 to San Diego on Sunday.

Lewis singled and stole second in the second inning and recorded another base knock in the sixth. The steal was only his second of the season. He is batting a modest .240.

Miller went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, two runs and two strikeouts in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox.

Miller broke Sunday's game open with his three-run blast in the bottom of the first inning that proved to be the difference in the contest. The 31-year-old has now started three of the last four games and is hitting .317 with four homers, 15 runs and 12 RBI this season.