MLB Player News

Smith went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, an additional run scored and three total RBI in Wednesday's 11-6 win over the Nationals.

This was Smith's first multi-hit game of the season, though his OPS is suddenly up to .942 on the strength of seven extra-base hits (three homers) and five walks. He was not seeing a ton of time early on, but Smith has been playing nearly every day between first base and DH since Yoenis Cespedes opted out, playing time rightly earned with his performance at the plate over the past couple seasons.

Guerrero went 2-for-5 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Marlins.

Guerrero ended his home run drought at nine games, as he took James Hoyt deep in the seventh inning. It was second home run of the season, though he has also recorded four doubles in his last eight contests. Overall, Guerrero is hitting a disappointing .237/.286/.407 across 47 plate appearances to this point in the campaign.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored Wednesday against Cleveland.

Rizzo took Carlos Carrasco deep to lead off the third inning, his fourth home run of the season. He had been in a bit of a power drought of late, as he had no extra-base hits in his last 10 contests, dating back to July 27. Still, Rizzo has managed a .400 on-base percentage despite racking up just 12 hits in 65 plate appearances.

Flores will bat third as the designated hitter Wednesday at Houston.

The 29-year-old wasn't included in the Giants' initial starting nine, but he'll enter the lineup with Austin Slater (undisclosed) a late scratch. Flores has a .270/.299/.492 slash line with four homers and nine RBI this season.

White is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rangers.

White will head to the bench for Wednesday's series finale following a string of four straight starts. Dylan Moore is starting at first base in place of White, who is just 7-for-66 with one home run and 31 strikeouts through 18 games.

Votto went 2-for-4 with a walk and a walkoff RBI double Tuesday in the Reds' 6-5 win over the Royals in 10 innings.

Since opening the season with three two-hit efforts in four games, Votto had fallen into a 2-for-28 slump over his subsequent nine contests entering Tuesday. However, Votto was able to provide the Reds with a lift when they needed him the most, as he sent a deep fly over the outstretched glove of center fielder Brett Phillips to score Nick Castellanos for the game-winning run. Votto will get a chance to keep the momentum going Wednesday in the series finale; he's slated to start at first base and bat third.

Diaz, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles, a walk and a run in a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday, is now hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two doubles, Tuesday's two RBI, four walks and three runs across 10 August games.

The burly infielder is still looking for his first home run of the campaign, but he's definitely beginning to show signs of a breakout after a forgettable start to the season. Diaz also boasts an elite walk rate of 18.6 percent that has helped him to an impressive .371 on-base percentage, while his 14.3 percent strikeout rate (70 plate appearances) is a career low.

Solano (abdomen) will remain on the bench Wednesday against the Astros, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Solano sat out Tuesday's game with abdominal soreness and will sit for at least one more contest. With an off day Thursday, it's possible he's able to return Friday against Oakland. Mauricio Dubon will again play second base Wednesday.

Abreu (hip) went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs Tuesday in the White Sox's 8-4 win over the Tigers.

Abreu's right hip injury forced him to exit early in Monday's 5-1 loss, but the stinger ultimately wasn't too much of a concern, as he was back in the lineup a day later and came through with a strong showing at the dish. He'll start again at first base and bat third in Wednesday's series finale.

Cron acknowledged Tuesday that he'll eventually require surgery on his sprained left knee, but he remains hopeful to play again this season before undergoing a procedure in the winter, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports. "[Surgery] has been discussed...We're gonna try to do as best we can to give it enough support to maybe finish the year. It's one of those things where something is gonna have to get done eventually, from the opinions I've gotten so far."

Cron sprained his knee in Monday's game against the White Sox and was placed on the 10-day injured list a day later. The 30-year-old is without a clear timeline to return, but based on his description of the injury, he seems likely to be sidelined more than the minimum 10 days even if he puts off surgery until the offseason. He's currently donning a brace on the knee in an attempt to strengthen his ligament enough to resume on-field activities, so until he's able to do that, the Tigers likely won't hone in on a target date for him to come off the IL. Jeimer Candelario is expected to serve as the Tigers' primary first baseman while Cron is sidelined.