MLB Player News

Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run during Thursday's win over Washington.

The 24-year-old is up to nine home runs, 18 RBI, 18 runs and a .248/.338/.520 slash line for the season, and he's now launched four home runs during an active six-game hitting streak. The hot stretch should keep him in the heart of the lineup for the immediate future, and Bell's current .858 OPS is an impressive mark for a player with just 254 career plate appearances at the highest level.

Freeman was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a fractured left wrist.

As expected, Freeman was sent to the DL after it was revealed he'll miss approximately 10 weeks recovering from the injury. Rio Ruiz was recalled from Triple-A to take Freeman's place on the roster -- Ruiz, Johan Camargo and Jace Peterson could see reps at first base while Freeman is sidelined.

Freeman is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a fractured left wrist, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

This is a tough blow for both parties, as Freeman was off to a blistering start to 2017, slashing .341/.461/.748 with a league-leading 14 homers through 37 games (135 at-bats). Barring any setbacks in his recovery, the 27-year-old is hoping to be back in action sometime shortly after the All-Star break. The injury isn't expected to require surgery, which is good news, but it will still keep him sidelined for an extended period of time. It's unclear who will fill for Freeman while he's sidelined, though Nick Markakis could slide over to first base or Rio Ruiz could be recalled from Triple-A.

Freeman (hand) could miss 8-to-10 weeks if a fracture is revealed on his test results, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It's an early educated guess from the beat writer. Freeman's test results won't be revealed until Thursday afternoon, as the examination performed Wednesday was inconclusive. Either way, the Braves and fantasy owners should brace themselves for an extended absence from the stud first baseman.

Bell is slated to bat cleanup for the Pirates on Thursday for the first time this season.

Bell has batted second in the order on 10 occasions this year, and even saw the three-spot once, but the majority of his overall starts have featured the 24-year-old hitting somewhere in the 5-8 range. A recent surge of power has likely led to this decision, as Bell owns three home runs and a 1.511 OPS over his last five games.

Flores went 3-for-5 in Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the Diamondbacks.

He got the start at second base and hit third with Neil Walker getting a rest. Flores is now slashing .389/.405/.556 over the last two weeks, and should continue seeing action all over the infield as a super-utility option for the Mets.

Freeman will head for more tests Thursday after initial X-rays on his hand were inconclusive, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Freeman left Wednesday's game with the Braves' trainer after taking a pitch off his wrist in the fifth inning. More will be known about his status after Thursday's test results are released.

Freeman was prematurely lifted from Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays after being hit on the left hand by a pitch, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan reports.

Freeman left with the Braves' trainer shortly after taking the pitch off his hand. Given he immediately looked over to the dugout after being hit, it's possible the issue could be more than just a bruise, though more should be known following the game.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Blue Jays.

It's his second homer in as many days, third in the last six games and 14th of the campaign, as Freeman continues to wreck opposing pitchers. While his .343/.457/.754 slash line seems unsustainable, it does come with a career-best 16.0 percent walk rate and 19.1 percent strikeout rate, and his .360 BABIP is actually 15 points lower than last year's. Freeman may well be emerging as one of the game's elite hitters in his age-27 season.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

Even after the good showing Tuesday, Rizzo is still slashing just .221/.358/.407. Last season, that line was .292/.385/.544. His BABIP is down nearly 100 points (.219 this season, .312 in 2016), but his strikeout and walk rates remain pretty similar. That suggests Rizzo has been getting a bit unlucky, so expect his numbers to climb as his BABIP normalizes a bit.