MLB Player News

Cooper (back) was activated from the 10-day injured list and is starting at first base Friday against the Nationals, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old has been sidelined nearly three weeks due to a lumbar strain, but he'll rejoin the Marlins after appearing in a pair of rehab games with Triple-A Jacksonville. Cooper should see semi-regular starts between first base and the corner outfield spots, and he could have an expanded role in left field while Corey Dickerson (foot) remains sidelined.

Bell (side) is not in the lineup Friday against the Marlins, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The 28-year-old was scratched from Thursday's starting nine with soreness in his right side, and the results from his MRI have yet to be announced. Bell should be considered day-to-day until the Nationals provide an update. In the meantime, Ryan Zimmerman will receive another start at first base.

Freeman went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Reds.

Freeman slammed a solo home run off Tony Santillan in the first inning and was the only batter that had an extra-base hit off the right-hander. The first baseman is slashing .254/.363/.471 with 17 home runs, 41 RBI and 48 runs. In addition, he's drawn a team-leading 45 walks. Prior to Wednesday's four-hit night, he'd been hitless in four straight games, marking his second-longest stretch without a hit this season.

Bell was scratched from Thursday's lineup with right side soreness and will get an MRI, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.

Bell was both scratched and held out of batting practice due to the discomfort. It's unclear if the injury will cause him to be placed on the injured list, though the results of the MRI should provide clarity to the situation. If Bell remains sidelined, Ryan Zimmerman figures to get the majority of playing time at first base.

Bell was scratched from Thursday's lineup for undisclosed reasons, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Bell was penciled in to start at first base and bat cleanup for the Nationals, but he didn't take batting practice and has now been removed from the lineup. He appears to be dealing with an injury, though the specifics remain unclear. Ryan Zimmerman has replaced him in the lineup for Washington.

Freeman went 4-for-4 with a walk in Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the Mets.

All four hits were singles, and Freeman only made it to second base once as the hitters behind him in the order (Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte) went a combined 0-for-8 with nine LOB. The performance snapped an 0-for-11 skid for the first baseman, but overall Freeman has put together a decent June, slashing .286/.358/.452 with four homers, two steals, 11 RBI and 14 runs in 22 games.

Cronenworth went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, double, an additional run and a strikeout in a 5-3 victory against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Cronenworth went back-to-back with Manny Machado in the first off Trevor Bauer and later scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning after doubling. This was Cronenworth's third straight game with a home run and fourth in his last five games to bring his total to 11. The infielder extended his hitting streak to nine games in the process.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Milwaukee.

The first baseman's seventh-inning solo shot accounted for the only run Arizona could muster off Milwaukee ace Brandon Woodruff. Walker has homered just twice in 21 games in June while batting .191 (13-for-68) this month. He has three long balls, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored and a disappointing .197/.243/.310 slash line through 152 plate appearances this year.

Bohm went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored in Wednesday's 13-12 loss to the Nationals.

With his first career four-hit game, Bohm is now hitting .396 in his last 13 games. His average, now .244, remains less than impressive, but this recent stretch of success has Bohm looking more like the player who hit .338 in 2020.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBI, two runs and a walk in Wednesday's 13-12 win over the Phillies.

With the Nats trailing by two in the sixth, Bell launched an opposite-field grand slam to give Washington the lead. Highlighted by a .228 average, the switch hitter's offensive struggles are well documented, but he has hit .333 with eight RBI in his last six games, hinting at a possible midseason turnaround for Bell. The 28-year-old has done the majority of his damage from the left-handed batter's box, hitting .253 with eight of his 10 homers and 26 of his 32 RBI from that side.