MLB Player News

Cabrera (ankle) is back in the lineup Monday against the Phillies.

Cabrera left Saturday's game against the Marlins with a sore ankle. He was able to appear off the bench Sunday and will feature from the start of Monday's contest, batting sixth and playing second base.

Flores is not starting Monday against the Cardinals.

Flores has hit .359/.405/.615 over his last 22 games. Eduardo Escobar slides to second base in his absence, with Jake Lamb starting at third.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's win over the Cubs.

Goldschmidt's RBI was a very important one, as his ninth-inning double knocked in the winning run for the Cardinals and clinched the team's first playoff berth since 2015. Goldschmidt has certainly contributed to St. Louis' success, though perhaps not quite as much as the Cardinals had hoped, as his .258/.346/.468 season slash line is notably lower than his .290/.389/.533 mark from last season.

France went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a pair of runs scored in Sunday's victory over the Diamondbacks.

France hit his seventh homer of the year in the fourth inning against Robbie Ray, cutting Arizona's lead to two. He later scored the game-tying run in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch. France has now hit .286/.375/.667 in the month of September, though his season slash line still sits at a poor .238/.302/.413 through 65 games.

General manager Neal Huntington said during his Sunday radio show that Bell (groin) could return before season's end, 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh reports.

"He's making progress, it was going to be a multi-week injury anyway," Huntington said. "He's putting in the work. He wants to be healthy going into the offseason but ideally he'd like to finish the season healthy." Bell, who will be eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2020, has already set career highs in doubles (37), homers (37) and RBI (116).

Freeman will stay in Atlanta for further treatment on his injured right elbow and will miss the Braves' two-game series in Kansas City that begins Tuesday, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Freeman was removed from Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Giants in the eighth inning after experiencing some discomfort in his elbow, which has been bothered by a bone spur in recent weeks. Since the Braves already have the division locked up, they'll err on the side of caution and withhold Freeman from action for a few days before he rejoins the big club in New York over the weekend for the season-ending series with the Mets. Though he'll head to New York, Freeman isn't guaranteed to rejoin the starting lineup before the postseason. Francisco Cervelli replaced Freeman at first base in Sunday's contest, but rookie Austin Riley could also be asked to make some appearances at the position while Freeman is out.

Freeman was removed from Sunday's game against the Giants in the top of the eighth inning with an apparent right arm injury, Fox Sports South reports.

After receiving a maintenance day Saturday, Freeman checked back into the lineup at first base for the series finale, going 0-for-3 with an RBI before bowing out of the contest. Since Atlanta has already punched its ticket to the postseason, Freeman's late removal could've been for precautionary purposes, but expect the Braves to provide clarity on the matter.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

After starting in the first two games of the series and going hitless with four strikeouts in seven at-bats, Naylor will cede his spot in the corner outfield to Hunter Renfroe. The two will likely continue to split time in the final week of the season with neither player having performed well enough at the plate lately to justify a full run of playing time.

Cabrera (ankle) is not in the lineup Sunday but could be available off the bench, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports.

While Cabrera will not start Sunday, manager Dave Martinez does not believe his injury is serious enough to sideline him entirely. Assuming that's the case, Cabrera could return to the lineup as soon as Monday.

Hiura (wrist) is in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Hiura was removed from Saturday's game after being struck by a pitch in his final at-bat, but he appears no worse for the wear Sunday morning. Hiura will start at second base and hit cleanup for the Brewers on Sunday afternoon.