MLB Player News

France provided a pinch-hit double in his lone at-bat during Tuesday's 9-0 loss to the Dodgers.

France looked like he might have been in line for an everyday role at the keystone for the Padres when he was called up from Triple-A El Paso on Aug. 16, but manager Andy Green seems to have at least temporarily pulled the plug on that experiment. He was on the bench Tuesday for the fifth time in eight games, with Greg Garcia and Luis Urias instead filling the two middle-infield positions.

Rizzo (back) is not starting Wednesday against the Mets.

Rizzo will stick on the bench for a third straight game Wednesday as he continues to battle back tightness. Ian Happ is starting at first base in this one, while the Cubs are hoping Rizzo will be able to return for Thursday's series finale.

Walker went 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, RBI and a run Tuesday in the Diamondbacks' 3-2 win over the Giants.

Considering Walker had 15 stolen bases in total across his seven prior seasons in the professional ranks, his involvement -- and success -- on the basepaths has perhaps been the most surprising aspect of his breakthrough year in the desert. Along with his providing an .832 OPS through 125 games, Walker has gone 8-for-9 on steal attempts. His eight stolen bases trail only Danny Santana among all players in baseball who have primarily played first base this season.

Beaty went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs, an RBI and a stolen base in the Dodgers' 9-0 win over the Padres on Tuesday.

Beaty broke out of an 0-for-7 skid at the dish with this three-hit effort to help the Dodgers cruise to the blowout victory, even chipping in his third stolen base of the season for good measure. The 26-year-old continues to hold his own at the big-league level this season, as this performance boosts his slash line up to .299/.345/.513 to go along with seven home runs and 38 RBI across 187 at-bats.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Cubs.

Alonso took Yu Darvish deep in the fourth inning for his 42nd homer of the season. The shot also broke the team's franchise record for home runs in a season, an exceptionally impressive feat for the 24-year-old -- regardless of the current hitting environment. He's shown no signs of slowing down at the dish, as he's managed eight home runs, 24 RBI and 14 runs scored in August. For the season, he's posted an exceptional .265/.367/.596 line across 556 plate appearances.

Votto (back) was activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Marlins. He'll start at first base and bat second.

Votto landed on the injured list Aug. 18 due to a lower-back strain, though he was able to make a quick recovery. Jose Peraza was optioned to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move.

Rizzo (back) might return to the starting lineup by the end of Chicago's three-game series with New York, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rizzo will miss his second straight game due to back tightness Tuesday, and he appears unlikely to play Wednesday. His availability for the remainder of the series should come into focus shortly.

Rizzo (back) isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

As expected, Rizzo will be held out of Tuesday's clash due to back tightness. He'll continue to be viewed as day-to-day. Ian Happ draws the start at first base and will bat sixth.

Rizzo (back) said that he doesn't expect to play in Tuesday's series opener against the Mets, David Kaplan of ESPN Chicago 1000 AM reports. "As of now I don't expect to play but I am going to get to the park and we are going to treat [the back injury] and see if I can feel even better," Rizzo said. "It has loosened up a lot since Saturday."

Rizzo was removed from Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Nationals with back tightness and was unavailable for the series finale a day later. The first baseman reported some improvement with his condition coming out of Monday's off day, but it sounds like he'll still need at least one more game off to recover from the back issue. The Cubs still appear to be viewing his situation as a day-to-day concern, but Rizzo's outlook could change once the training staff has a chance to re-evaluate him later Tuesday.

Flores returned to the lineup Monday and went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in a 6-4 win over the Giants.

Flores sat out three games over the weekend with a back issue but was available to play if needed. He got the start Monday against a right-hander (Tyler Beede) -- something that's become increasingly rare since his return from a foot injury mid-July.