MLB Player News

Walker is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Pirates.

Walker will get a rest despite entering the game with a six-game hitting streak. Pavin Smith will bat second and man first base Tuesday.

Smith is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Giants, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith is mired in a 1-for-25 slump and will sit for the second straight game against a left-handed pitcher (Sammy Long). Jeff McNeil will take over in left field while J.D. Davis starts at the hot corner.

Hoskins is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay.

Hoskins returned from a groin strain Sunday and certainly looked healthy, hitting a pair of solo homers. The fact that he's not in the lineup following Monday's off day is somewhat unusual, but Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phillies aren't yet ready to start him two days in a row and would rather have him in the lineup Wednesday against lefty Ryan Yarbrough than Tuesday against righty Drew Rasmussen. Brad Miller starts at first base in his absence.

Bell will not start Tuesday against the Marlins.

Bell hits the bench for the second time in three games. He's been slumping over his last 11 contests, hitting .176/.293/.294, though he does have an encouraging 6:3 BB:K over that stretch. Ryan Zimmerman starts at first base in his absence.

Walker went 1-for-4 with three RBI in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Pirates.

Walker had the rare feat of clearing the bases with a single in the fifth inning. He's currently maintaining a six-game hitting streak, during which he's driven in six runs. A pair of oblique injuries knocked the starch out of Walker the first two months of the season, and the 30-year-old first baseman hasn't done much since returning, posting a .679 OPS over the last two-and-a-half months. While the Diamondbacks haven't uttered the term "rebuild," the team is essentially looking at a makeover this offseason, and Walker's on the wrong side of 30.

Cron went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 6-4 loss to the Cubs.

Cron singled and came around to score during the Rockies' three-run first inning. He singled again in the third and topped off his day with a sixth-inning double. The 6-foot-4 slugger has been red-hot all month, going 28-for-67 (.418) with 14 extra-base hits and 28 RBI in August. Cron raised his season OPS to .905 through 403 plate appearances.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and an additional run scored in Sunday's win over the Pirates.

The star slugger is seeing the ball well of late, but he was riding a homer drought that extended for 13 games before he went deep in this one with a solo shot in the fifth inning off reliever Kyle Keller. Goldschmidt's hitting streak has reached 11 games and has recorded multi-hit contests in all but one of his last seven contests, so he continues to be one of the most dangerous bats in the National League. He's slashing .355/.402/.526 through 84 plate appearances in August.

Walker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Rockies.

Walker extended his hitting streak to five games when he took Robert Stephenson deep in the top of the seventh inning to give Arizona a 6-1 lead. The 42-83 Diamondbacks could grant Walker more frequent days off in September to evaluate younger options, but the 30-year-old still looks to be the club's top option at first base.

Solano went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Padres.

Solano entered in the eighth inning to pinch hit for Lamonte Wade. He hit the game-winning two-run homer off A.J. Puk to put the Giants ahead. Solano has recently been limited to starting against southpaws. As a result, he has totaled just four hits since Aug. 5. The 33-year-old is slashing .277/.335/.396 with six long balls, 30 RBI, 31 runs and a pair of steals in 317 plate appearances.

Hoskins went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a walk in Sunday's win over the Padres.

Hoskins blasted a solo shot off Ryan Weathers in the fourth inning and another off Miguel Diaz in the fifth inning. It was a big showing for the first baseman in his first game back from the 10-day injured list. He has homered twice in four different games this season. The 28-year-old is slashing .247/.336/.526 with 26 long balls, 70 RBI, 63 runs and three steals in 438 plate appearances.