MLB Player News

Bell will start at first base and bat fourth against the Cardinals on Friday.

The Pirates gave Bell two games off before Thursday's off-day in an effort to snap the 26-year-old out of a protracted slump. Bell is slashing just .209/.318/.429 with nine homers and 37 RBI since the end of May. He has four hits (including two doubles) in six career at-bats against Friday starter Dakota Hudson.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Marlins.

The slugging first baseman kick-started the Mets' offense with a first-inning blast off Jordan Yamamoto. Alonso has gone deep in three straight games to give him 37 homers on the year, and he's rapidly closing in on a couple of records: Cody Bellinger's NL rookie mark of 39 home runs in a season, and the Mets' franchise mark of 41 in a season held by Carlos Beltran and Todd Hundley.

Hiura went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double, three RBI and three runs Wednesday in the Brewers' 8-4 win over the Pirates.

Hiura had gone 4-for-32 at the dish over his prior nine games before busting out in a big way in the series finale in Pittsburgh, reaching base four times while posting a career-high three extra-base knocks. The rookie has more than lived up to his billing as a polished power-speed threat with 13 home runs and seven steals in 52 games, but he could still use further refinement in the field. He committed his 10th error after he was unable to corral a throw in the bottom of the fourth, preventing the Brewers from turning a potential inning-ending double play.

Freeman went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs in an 11-7 victory against the Twins on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old has a home run in three straight contests, putting him one shy of the 30-homer plateau. With one more long ball, Freeman will reach 30 home runs for the first time since 2016. Freeman is on pace to set career bests in home runs, RBI and runs this season. He is batting .309 with 59 extra-base hits, 92 RBI, 90 runs and five steals in 446 at-bats this season.

Bell is not starting Wednesday against the Brewers.

As expected, Bell will stick on the bench for a second straight game as the Pirates look to give him an extended breather amidst his second-half struggles (.176/.299/.230 slash line in 22 games since the All-Star break). Jose Osuna is starting at first base and hitting cleanup in his place.

Cabrera is getting reps at first base, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

The Nats don't have a platoon partner for Matt Adams at first base with Ryan Zimmerman (foot) and Howie Kendrick (hamstring) both on the shelf -- current backup Gerardo Parra also hits left-handed -- so if Cabrera can adapt quickly, there is a path to some playing time for the veteran switch hitter. That said, he's never played first base before in over 1,600 career MLB games, and his .709 OPS for Texas this season doesn't suggest he'll have a lot of fantasy value in Washington even if Cabrera does see semi-consistent at-bats.

Freeman went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Tuesday's 12-7 win over the Twins.

The first baseman has been punishing the ball to begin August, slashing .333/.417/.810 through six games with three homers and nine RBI. On the season, Freeman now boasts a .967 OPS with 28 homers and 91 RBI, putting him firmly on pace for new personal bests in both power categories.

Naylor went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over Seattle on Tuesday.

Starting for the fourth straight game, Naylor put San Diego up 8-0 with a homer to left field in the eighth inning. The rookie showed some pop in the minors, accumulating 27 long balls in 182 games across two levels between 2018 and 2019. He has now hit four home runs and racked up 19 RBI while hitting .242 in 120 major-league at-bats this season.

Alonso went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Marlins.

The rookie slugger went yard for the second straight game, and the 36th time this season, with a fifth-inning blast off Hector Noesi. Alonso is now three long balls back of Christian Yelich for the major-league lead in homers.

Bell will head to the bench for the next two games in an effort to get him some rest, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Bell has been slumping at the dish of late, slashing .138/.242/.172 with three RBI over his last eight contests, so the Pirates will give him some time off to regroup. Jose Osuna figures to see time at first base with Bell out of the lineup.