MLB Player News

Rivas was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Rivas held the starting job at first base for Chicago earlier this season, but he'll head to the minors while in the midst of a 1-for-22 slump, during which he's struck out nine times. Overall this year the 25-year-old has a .194/.296/.301 slash line in 38 games.

Walker (face) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Friday against the Phillies.

Walker was hit in the head by a pitch during Thursday's matchup with the Reds, but he's apparently none the worse for wear and is back in action a day later. The 31-year-old is off to a slow start in June and has a .148/.281/.407 slash line with two home runs in eight games.

Santana went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 7-5 win over the Orioles.

The veteran started to lose playing time early in June, but with Hunter Dozier (side) currently at less than 100 percent, Santana has thrived at first base. Thursday's homer was his third of the year and his first since May 20. Santana has a .190/.323/.307 slash line with 13 RBI, 11 runs scored and seven doubles overall, but he's now 6-for-13 in his last four contests. It's still tough to trust him to keep up a surge at the plate for more than a handful of days, however.

Naylor went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 8-4 win over the Athletics.

Naylor hadn't homered since May 22 before going back-to-back with Jose Ramirez in the fourth inning Thursday. Through seven games in June, Naylor is 6-for-26 (.231) with three extra-base hits, five RBI and four runs scored. The 24-year-old is slashing .276/.336/.496 with seven homers, 30 RBI, 17 runs scored and seven doubles through 140 plate appearances. He should continue to see most of the playing time at first base, though he's also drawn the occasional start at designated hitter with Franmil Reyes (hamstring) sidelined.

Freeman went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the White Sox.

Freeman drove in two with a double in the fifth inning, and he delivered an RBI single in the following frame. He now has three multi-hit performances in his last five starts, though he had just one extra-base hit and one run scored in that span entering Thursday's game. Freeman owns a .290/.371/.446 line across 256 plate appearances on the season.

Walker was diagnosed with a facial contusion after exiting Thursday's win over the Reds, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Walker was hit in the head by a pitch in the top of the eighth inning Thursday, and he immediately left the game. While the 31-year-old will likely be monitored ahead of Friday's matchup against Philadelphia, he seems to have avoided a significant injury. If Walker misses any additional time, Pavin Smith and Jordan Luplow are candidates to fill in at first base.

Walker was removed from Thursday's game against the Reds in the top of the eighth inning after being hit in the head by a pitch, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Walker remained on his feet after being hit in the helmet by a pitch, but he immediately walked to the dugout under his own power and left the game. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout prior to his departure and should tentatively be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's series opener against the Phillies.

France went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Wednesday's 6-3 win over Houston.

France gave the Mariners a 4-3 lead with a solo home run in the fourth, which ended up being the difference in the game. He added a single in the eighth, notching his first multi-hit game since June 1. Across 57 games this year, France is slashing .327/.402/.491 with nine home runs and 38 RBI.

Cooper went 3-for-5 in Wednesday's 2-1 extra-inning win over the Nationals.

The Marlins only managed nine hits in total, so it's not that surprising Cooper's knocks didn't produce any actual offense. It was the 31-year-old's fifth straight multi-hit performance, and over his last 15 contests Cooper has posted a blistering .450/.485/.667 slash line with two homers, eight runs and 13 RBI.

Santana went 4-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Blue Jays.

It's the first time all year the veteran slugger has recorded multiple extra-base hits in a game. Santana has begun to show flickers of life at the plate, going 7-for-13 over his last four starts with four walks, but his career-worst .611 OPS and woeful power numbers on the season -- two homers and 11 RBI in 39 games -- make him tough to roster in any fantasy format without a more prolonged hot streak.