MLB Player News

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the Cubs' 5-2 loss to the Cardinals on Friday.

It was the second straight game with a homer for the 28-year-old first baseman, giving him 14 long balls in 93 games on the season. He was able to raise his OPS up to an even .800 with this performance and his .264 average and .363 on-base percentage through 352 at-bats are right in line with his career numbers, although Rizzo's slugging percentage of .438 is lagging a bit behind his career mark of .481.

Bell was lifted from Friday's tilt against the Mets due to left side discomfort, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The severity of the injury remains unknown, although he'll likely undergo further evaluation prior to Saturday's matchup. Bell will be listed as day-to-day moving forward.

Bell was lifted from Friday's tilt against the Mets after suffering an apparent injury, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Bell ran slowly down the first base line on a groundout in the second inning, so Sean Rodriguez replaced him in the next frame. More news on Bell's injury is expected to surface in the near future.

Cabrera was traded from the Mets to the Phillies on Friday in exchange for pitching prospect Franklyn Kilome, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Phillies plan to deploy Cabrera at third, second and shortstop, as his ability to switch hit will allow the team to tailor their lineup based upon pitching matchups, per Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com. Cabrera is hitting .277/.329/.488 with 18 home runs, 48 runs and 58 RBI this season. The move probably won't have a major impact on Cabrera's fantasy value over the final two months, although he will enjoy a home park upgrade and will join a better lineup. He is a free agent after this season.

Rizzo went 3-for-5 with a walkoff home run in Thursday's win over the Diamondbacks.

The walkoff capped off a three-run rally on the usually reliable Brad Boxberger. Rizzo is raking since the break, slashing .419/.550/.645 with a 17.5 percent walk rate that matches his 17.5 percent strikeout rate. He and the Cubs are off to St. Louis for a weekend series with the Cardinals.

Hoskins went 3-for-5 with two solo homers and a double in the 9-4 win over the Reds on Thursday.

The Phillies hit seven homers in the slugfest against Cincinnati, with three players hitting multiple long balls. The 25-year-old slugger is up to 20 long balls and 67 RBI this season, alongside a .879 OPS. He's been red-hot recently, having knocked six home runs over his last six games.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Pirates.

Cabrera played a major role in the Mets' offensive explosion against the Pirates, recording a season-best four RBI performance. That included a two-run home run in the fourth inning off Nick Kingham, his 18th of the season. It's already his fifth home run in July across 67 at-bats, continuing a season-long power surge that has his slugging percentage at a career-best .488 mark.

Flores went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Pirates.

Flores recorded most of his production when he took Nick Kingham deep in the first inning for a two-run home run, his ninth of the season. He has gotten every day playing time at first base due to the injuries suffered by Jay Bruce (hip) and Todd Frazier (ribs) and has taken advantage by homering six times and raising his average from .252 to .268 since June 14. While Flores has been a lefty-killer in the past -- he posted a .620 slugging percentage from 2015 to 2017 against southpaws -- he has been much better against right-handed pitching this season, posting a .493 slugging percentage across 146 at-bats entering Thursday's action.

Blandino (knee) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Thursday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

This was strictly a procedural move for the Reds as Blandino recently underwent season-ending surgery to repair his torn ACL. In a corresponding move, Jesse Winker (shoulder) was put on the shelf while Mason Williams had his contract selected from Triple-A Louisville.

Santana went 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple, a run scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers.

He's now 7-for-23 (.304) since the All-Star break with a homer and eight RBI in six games. Santana's .215/.355/.407 slash line on the season remains rough, but the veteran continues to hold down a prime spot in the Phillies' order and should remain a strong run producer even if his batting average doesn't turn around.