MLB Player News

Smith was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a stress reaction in his left foot.

According to Tim Healey of Newsday, Smith said he was dealing with pain for about a week before heading for an MRI, which revealed the stress reaction. The injury could help explain Smith's struggles since the All-Star break, as he's hitting just .184 with a .547 OPS in 11 second-half games. Smith will undergo additional testing Monday, at which point a timetable for his return will hopefully emerge. Aaron Altherr was summoned from the minors to replace Smith on the roster, while J.D. Davis is starting in left field Saturday.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a second run scored in Friday's 5-3 win over the Astros.

His eighth-inning shot off Ryan Pressly proved to be the winning hit on the night. Goldschmidt has now gone yard in five straight games, driving in 12 runs in the process, and his power surge has helped push the Cards into first place in the NL Central. On the season, the first baseman is still slashing a disappointing .256/.341/.462, but his 23 homers and 56 RBI through 103 games have him on pace to match or exceed last year's power numbers.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 6-3 victory over the Pirates on Friday.

As usual, Alonso is displaying plenty of power with four home runs in the last nine games. However, he seems to be having a bit of a post-Home Run Derby hangover, as he's batting .136 (6-for-44) since the break. Fortunately, he's still walking a lot, so his on-base percentage has seen very little change. Alonso is hitting .263 with 34 home runs, 76 RBI, 65 runs and one steal in 369 at-bats this season.

Freeman went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks Friday night against the Phillies.

Freeman got the Braves on the board in the first inning with an RBI single to right center, and he would later extend Atlanta's lead to eight in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly to left field. The 29-year-old has been seeing the ball well at the plate of late, as he's now hit safely in seven consecutive contests, registering seven RBI over that stretch.

Walker is not in the lineup Friday against the Marlins.

Walker will take a seat on the bench for Friday's series opener after starting the past eight games and slashing .214/.410/.321 with one home run and two stolen bases over that stretch. Jake Lamb is starting at first base and hitting sixth in his stead.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in a 6-3 victory against the Pirates on Thursday.

The 31-year-old homered in every contest of the four-game set in Pittsburgh, and his last five long balls have come against the Pirates. With this power surge, Goldschmidt has 22 home runs this season, putting him well on pace now to reach 33 homers, which he hit last year. He is batting .253 with 32 extra-base hits, 53 RBI and 62 runs in 379 at-bats. In case owners are wondering, Goldschmidt will get his next crack at Pirates pitching on Aug. 9.

Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres, Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports reports.

He'll cede his spot in the outfield to Juan Lagares, who returns to the starting nine for the first time since July 18. Despite Smith's shortcomings on the defensive end, the Mets seem inclined to keep him around in a near-everyday role with little at stake amid a non-contending season. While Smith owns a stellar .872 OPS on the campaign, he has yet to find much success at the plate in July, going 9-for-51 with a .192 on-base percentage.

Solano got a start at the keystone Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a double in a 4-1 loss to the Cubs.

Solano got a rare start against a righty, but it may have been the result of lefty Jon Lester getting scratched late due to an illness. The 31-year-old infielder has been a hit machine when called upon this month, going 21-for-54 (.389) over 16 games (11 starts) in July. Despite Solano's current hot streak, his inconsistent playing time and absence of power or speed suppresses his fantasy value.

Flores went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Flores started against Baltimore left-hander John Means, just the second start in the seven games since he was activated off the injured list. He went hitless in his first seven plate appearances before rapping out a pair of hits Wednesday. Flores is expected to be in the lineup whenever a lefty is on the mound. When the Diamondbacks face a right-hander, manager Torey Lovullo has used Eduardo Escobar at second base and Jake Lamb at third.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and three runs in a 14-8 victory against the Pirates on Wednesday.

For the third straight day, Goldschmidt hit a homer against the Pirates, and dating back to last week, this was his fourth consecutive game leaving the yard versus Pittsburgh. Goldschmidt probably wishes he could face Pirates pitching more often, but he does have seven round trippers overall this month. He's now slashing .250/.336/.444 with 31 extra-base hits (including 21 homers), 52 RBI and 61 runs in 376 at-bats this season.