MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Friday's series opener against Miami.

Smith will get a breather following seven straight starts to begin his major-league career. During his first week of action, the first baseman went 4-for-25 at the plate, adding one home run and a pair of RBI. In his place, Wilmer Flores draws the start at first base.

Flores (ribs) is back in the lineup Friday against the Marlins.

Flores was able to avoid landing on the disabled list following a left rib injury that has forced him out of the lineup for the past two games. He will take over at first and bat in the cleanup spot for the series opener, but don't be surprised if he receives a couple days off here and there while fully recovering from the rib soreness. Since the All-Star break, Flores is hitting .292/.342/.625 with seven home runs and 13 RBI.

Rizzo went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's loss to the Reds.

Rizzo has been on a tear over the last four games, as he's gone 9-for-17 with three doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI. He figures to continue providing outstanding fantasy value the rest of the way from the heart of a strong Cubs lineup.

Votto went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run during Thursday's win over the Cubs.

The first baseman just continues to pad his fantasy stats and boasts an elite .316/.448/.601 slash line with 32 homers, 86 RBI and 84 runs. Votto's final numbers might fall short of his dominant 2010 showing when he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, but this has been his best season since earning that honor.

Freeman went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a double during Thursday's win over Colorado.

The only thing to slow Freeman down this season was a fluky wrist injury that cost him 44 games. Even with the missed time, he's racked up 22 homers, 49 RBI and 58 runs with an elite .321/.421/.636 slash line. 2018 could be the season Freeman puts it all together and posts his true breakout campaign, so it's not out of the question to consider ponying up in keeper/dynasty settings now.

Flores (ribs) will remain on the active roster and avoid the disabled list at the present time, Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News reports.

After testing out the left rib injury and discussing his condition with manager Terry Collins prior to Thursday's series finale against the Yankees, it was determined that Flores would stay on the active roster but likely need a couple days off to recover. It seems as though the Mets finally received some good news concerning an injury, but it's still worth keeping an eye on Flores, because if his condition doesn't improve over the next few days he could wind up landing on the DL. In his place, Matt Reynolds was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas and will start at third for Thursday's contest.

Flores (ribs) is not in Thursday's lineup for the series finale against the Yankees, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

It appears as though Flores will test his left side prior to Thursday's game, and could wind up on the disabled list if he doesn't feel up to par. In his place, the club recalled Matt Reynolds and Gavin Cecchini from Triple-A Las Vegas to provide depth in the infield. There will likely be another update on the 26-year-old's condition before the start of Thursday's affair.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and two runs scored during Wednesday's win over Cincinnati.

Rizzo hit two home runs and drove in nine runs through the first three games of the series and is up to a .265/.385/.513 slash line for the season. He remains a high-end asset in all settings, and Rizzo might even have earned second-base status in some leagues after being scored at the keystone for the 10th time Monday. It's a potentially huge fantasy boost.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's 9-5 loss to the Astros.

Goldschmidt's eighth-inning blast cut his team's deficit to two, but the hosts promptly responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to put the contest out of reach. The 29-year-old first baseman has strengthened his NL MVP bid with four home runs in his last eight games, giving him 29 on the year.

Flores went to the hospital to have his sore ribcage further evaluated, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

It appears Flores, who was scratched from Wednesday's game after he was unable to take swings during pregame, may be dealing with something serious. Manager Terry Collins said the Mets might need a pair of infielders for Thursday, according to Marc Carig of Newsday, so it sounds like he may ultimately require a stint on the disabled list to get over the ailment. More should be known after the results from his hospital visit are disclosed.