MLB Player News

Rizzo (back) is starting Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, playing first base and batting third.

Rizzo was forced to sit out of Sunday's series finale with the Brewers, but Monday's off-day seems to have been just what he needed to get back into action. He'll resume his role in the Cubs' lineup as a main run producer.

Freeman went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Phillies.

The month of July wasn't quite as spectacular for Freeman as his April or May, but he still put together a .278/.350/.511 slash line with five homers and 15 RBI in 23 games. The 27-year-old slugger's next home run will be his 20th of the season and mark his fifth time reaching that threshold in seven MLB seasons.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Monday that Smith is "not far" from earning a promotion to the big leagues, Tyler Kepner of The New York Times reports.

The writing has been on the wall for Smith's promotion since everyday first baseman Lucas Duda was traded to the Rays last week, and the Mets' decision to promote top prospect Amed Rosario to the majors Tuesday may open the floodgates for further callups in the near future. Even after accounting for the tremendously hitter-friendly environment at Las Vegas, Smith's .340/.394/.534 slash line still stands out, so he certainly seems ready for his first trial with the Mets. Once his promotion eventually comes, Smith will likely occupy an everyday role at first base, resulting in the hot-hitting Wilmer Flores either moving across the diamond or settling into a bench role.

Bell launched a pinch-hit solo homer in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Padres.

Bell was scratched in favor of Jose Osuna at first base with a southpaw on the mound for San Diego, but he rewarded those who had the faith or forgetfulness to leave him in their lineups by slugging a ninth-inning long ball against left-handed reliever Jose Torres in his only at-bat of the game. That was the switch-hitter's sixth homer against lefties compared to 13 when facing right-handers.

Flores will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Mariners.

Following the recent trade of Lucas Duda to the Rays along with T.J. Rivera (elbow) hitting the disabled list with a potential season-ending injury, Flores looks like a safe bet to enjoy regular starts at first base for the foreseeable future. He's already taken advantage of the uptick in at-bats by going 8-for-26 with three home runs over the Mets' last eight games, so it may be worthwhile to keep him active in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats while he continues to sizzle.

Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.

Bell has gone hitless and tallied six strikeouts at the plate over his past three games. In addition, the switch hitter is batting just .218/.299/.425 in 97 plate appearances against southpaws, and San Diego will start lefty Clayton Richard. Jose Osuna will draw the start at first base in his stead.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.

Cabrera has picked up 10 hits over the previous six games but went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts during Saturday's contest. He'll receive a day of rest with Matt Reynolds taking over at third base.

Rizzo is dealing with a sore back and is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Rizzo never appeared to explicitly injure his back during Saturday's contest, so it appears that he may be dealing with some general back soreness that comes with the wear and tear of a long season. The Cubs are off Monday, so the star first baseman will be given at least two full days to rest his ailing back. Victor Caratini draws the start at first base in his stead, batting eighth.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and three RBI in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Cardinals.

The homer was Goldschmidt's first since July 14, ending a 13-game drought for the All-Star. Even with the slight downturn in power in the second half, Goldschmidt is still sitting on a career-best .577 slugging percentage for the season, and has continued to exhibit top-notch plate discipline. He's drawn at least one walk in each of the last seven games and has produced four two-hit efforts during that time, aiding him to a ridiculous .636 on-base percentage.

Votto went 2-for-3 with a solo homer in Saturday's loss to Miami.

It was 16 games between homers for the first baseman, and Votto posted an alarming .204 slugging percentage during that stretch. Traditionally, he's been a much better second-half producer, so fantasy owners shouldn't overreact to his recent struggles.