MLB Player News

Smith (foot) hopes to be ready to be activated when first eligible Sept. 25, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

He took a big step in his recovery Wednesday running and hitting off a tee for the first time since suffering a stress fracture in his left foot in July. It will be all about whether Smith can work his way into game shape over the next two weeks. At best, he would be available for the final five games of the regular season.

Goldschmidt is not in Thursday's lineup against the Rockies.

He is hitting .281/.452/.469 with zero home runs, 10 walks and six strikeouts in 10 games this month. Rangel Ravelo will start at first base and hit sixth.

Flores is not in Thursday's lineup against the Mets.

Flores has started six of the last eight games, with five of those starts coming against righties. He is hitting .250 with one home run in 24 at-bats over that stretch. Jake Lamb draws the start at third base against righty Marcus Stroman while Eduardo Escobar slides over to the keystone.

Naylor is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Cubs.

He will miss his second game in a row. Naylor is hitting .227 with zero home runs, five strikeouts and four walks in nine games this month. Wil Myers starts in right field while hitting cleanup.

Hiura (hamstring) won't play in Wednesday's game and won't return to the lineup until Monday at the earliest, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It sounds like he could get some pinch-hit opportunities in this weekend's series in St. Louis but won't be able to take the field until the upcoming homestand. With Christian Yelich (fractured kneecap) done for the season, the Brewers will lean on Hiura to help carry the offense as they look to win the second wild-card spot in the National League.

Beaty is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Orioles.

He heads to the bench with southpaw John Means on the hill for Baltimore. David Freese starts at first base while hitting second.

Hiura (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list but is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Marlins.

Now that rosters have expanded, there's no harm in activating Hiura even if he's still somewhat limited. He is likely available as a pinch hitter off the bench. Cory Spangenberg is starting at second base and hitting eighth.

Cabrera is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Twins.

He heads to the bench against lefty Martin Perez. Cabrera is 9-for-23 (.391) with two home runs in six games this month. Brian Dozier gets the start at second base and will hit seventh.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Tuesday in the Pirates' 5-4 loss to the Giants.

Bell's 37th long ball of the season cut the Pirates' deficit to one in the eighth inning before Giants reliever Shaun Anderson came on to record the final four outs of the night without much drama. Though Bell has seen his prolific power pace slow down in the last couple of months, he's maintained his typical strong plate discipline, reaching base at a .357 clip and striking out in only 17.8 percent of his plate appearances since the All-Star break.

France went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in a victory over the Cubs on Tuesday.

France made his first start in five games and took advantage of the opportunity, smashing a solo shot to left field in the third inning. The 25-year-old appeared set to take over as the Padres' regular second baseman at the start of September but has since transitioned to a utility and pinch-hitting role. He is slugging .224/.274/.395 with six homers and 20 RBI in 164 plate appearances this season.