MLB Player News

Cabrera is in the lineup for Friday's matchup against Washington.

Cabrera hit a home run as a pinch hitter in Thursday's game, but will return to his starting spot at second base Friday against A.J. Cole and the Nationals. Over the last seven games, Cabrera has gone 9-for-19 with five home runs and nine RBI.

Votto is out of the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

He has started the last nine games, hitting .343/.400/.629 over that stretch, and the Reds will opt to give him a day off Friday. Despite playing on one of the worst teams in baseball, Votto is still putting up his typically eye-popping numbers, and remains one of the top first basemen in fantasy, especially in OBP and points leagues. Ivan De Jesus will start at first base and hit eighth Friday.

Freeman went 1-for-3 with his 28th homer, two walks, three RBI and two runs in a win over the Padres on Thursday.

He got the scoring started in the third with a two-run homer, then drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth as the Braves built their lead. One of few bright spots for the Braves this year, Freeman now has hits in eight straight games and 19 of his last 20. If you've been following him over these last three weeks, it'll come as no surprise that his numbers over that span are spectacular -- he's hitting .377 with nine homers, 23 RBI, 21 runs and an incredible 21:14 BB:K.

Bour (ankle) could return as early as next week, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Sidelined since early July, Bour is finally nearing a return after dealing with a number of setbacks in his recovery from a severely sprained ankle. While the Marlins continue to handle the situation with caution, it appears as though Bour could be set for a return sometime during the team's upcoming homestand, which begins Monday against the Phillies and concludes Sunday against the Dodgers. Bour would likely be used as a pinch hitter, initially, before playing the field.

Cabrera is not in the lineup Thursday against Miami.

After starting the last two games, Cabrera will return to the bench as the Mets attempt to limit the strain on the sore knee that kept him out of the lineup earlier in the week. Jose Reyes will shift over to shortstop and continue to bat in the leadoff spot Thursday.

Manager Pete Mackanin indicated Howard's role will be reduced moving forward, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard has been in the lineup more frequently of late due to improved production at the plate. However, he will be a free agent after the season and the Phillies are looking toward the future. Manager Pete Mackanin said he wants to see Tommy Joseph get more at-bats against right-handed pitching next month.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he intends to play Joseph more frequently over the remainder of the season, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Ryan Howard had seen an increase in playing time of late, but that trend will not continue. Mackanin said he wants to see Joseph get plenty of at-bats against right-handed pitching next month.

Cabrera (knee) went 2-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer in a return to the lineup Tuesday before being lifted for a defensive sub late in the game.

Cabrera's bomb came in the bottom of the first inning after leadoff man Jose Reyes singled to get things going. The bomb was Cabrera's 17th of the season, and raised his batting line to .273/.324/.453. The Mets' brutal offense, ranking 28th in the MLB in runs scored, has dragged down some of Cabrera's numbers: he has just 44 RBI and 48 runs scored despite playing basically everyday.

Howard went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and two strikeouts in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Nationals.

Howard's homer provided all of Philadelphia's offense in this one, as the rest of the lineup managed just two hits against Nationals ace Max Scherzer. The veteran first baseman reached the 20-homer mark for the third straight season, but his 31.3 percent strikeout rate makes him an extremely hit-or-miss option.

Rizzo went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.

Rizzo's first-inning blast was his 26th of the season, but just his second this month and first since Aug. 14. Despite the dip in power, the first baseman has been racking up the hits this month, going 36-for-108 (.333) in August to raise his season's average to .294.