MLB Player News

Rizzo will start at first base and bat leadoff Friday versus the Cardinals.

Rizzo has batted third in all 57 of his starts this season, but he will take over leadoff duties for the series opener against St. Louis. The 29-year-old owns an impressive .317/.409/.587 slash line over 198 plate appearances in his career at the top of the batting order.

Smith went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's win over the Giants.

Getting the start in left field and hitting second, the 23-year-old went back-to-back with Amed Rosario to lead off the first inning and get things rolling for the Mets. Smith has now played six games in left, gaining outfield eligibility in many fantasy formats, and that might be his clearest path to regular playing time with Pete Alonso entrenched at first base. Smith is certainly doing everything he can to force his way into the lineup more often, slashing .373/.468/.612 with four homers and a sharp 11:14 BB:K through 79 plate appearances.

Freeman went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a 6-1 loss against the Pirates on Thursday.

The 29-year-old's numbers are just about where they are expected to be. He is slashing .307/.393/.580 in 272 plate appearances during 2019. Last season, Freeman posted a .309/.388/.505 slash line. He also has 16 home runs, 38 RBI, 45 runs and one steal in 238 at-bats this year.

Cooper went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Milwaukee.

Cooper got the Marlins on the board in the sixth inning on a single to center field, but the Brewers would emerge victorious in the series finale. He's been seeing the ball well at the plate recently, collecting a base knock in six of his last seven contests. Cooper has launched two homers and sits with five RBI over that brief stretch.

France was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Fernando Tatis (hamstring) was reinstated from the injured list in a corresponding move, pushing Manny Machado back to an everyday role at third base and leaving little-to-no playing time for France. As such, he'll head back to the minors to see consistent at-bats with the Chihuahuas. During his time with the Padres, France slashed .235/.290/.357 with two homers and 10 RBI in 34 appearances (107 plate appearances).

Smith (thumb) will start in left field and bat second Thursday against the Giants, Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports reports.

Smith hyperextended his right thumb Saturday, but he avoided a trip to the injured list after an MRI cleared him of any structural damage. The injury nonetheless limited Smith to a bench role for the previous three contests, with the 23-year-old logging a sole pinch-hitting appearance during that span. With the soreness in his thumb apparently having subsided, Smith will enter the lineup in the series finale for what will be his fourth outfield start of the season. Smith could be pressed into more regular action in the event Robinson Cano (hamstring) needs to return to the IL, in which case Jeff McNeil would likely pick up more starts at second base rather than the outfield.

Beaty (hip flexor) has been placed on the 10-day injured list, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Beaty's injury wasn't initially thought to be serious, as manager Dave Roberts said he was feeling better and that he was available off the bench Tuesday. However, it's apparently worse than the club thought, as the issue has forced him to the 10-day IL, retroactive to Monday. Outfielder Kyle Garlick has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.

His sixth-inning blast off Madison Bumgarner got the Mets on the board, and gave Alonso an even 20 homers on the year. The rookie is heating up again, slashing .364/.400/.788 over his last eight games with three long balls and seven RBI, and with the lineup getting healthier around him, Alonso's run-producing opportunities should increase heading into the summer.

Freeman went 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and two runs in a 12-5 victory against the Pirates on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old has been one of the hottest power hitters in the league over the last few weeks, as he has eight home runs since May 16. He's also on a modest four-game hitting streak. The power surge has Freeman's slugging percentage up to .578, and he is batting .310 with 15 home runs, 37 RBI and 43 runs in 232 at-bats this season.

Cooper went 4-for-5 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and four runs scored Tuesday against the Brewers.

Cooper delivered the highlight of his performance in the third inning, popping a solo home run to center field. It was his fifth homer of the season, though that was far from his only production, as he scored a run four of the five times he reached base. It was his second consecutive multi-run game, and his fourth in 24 games for the campaign. In limited playing time, Cooper has shown both the ability to get on base and hit for power with his .289/.368/.482 line.