MLB Player News

Manager Joe Maddon said he "would be surprised" if Rizzo (back) returned Friday against the Brewers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Rizzo is out of the lineup for a fourth straight game Thursday due to back tightness. While he's hoping to return against the Brewers over the weekend, he doesn't sound ready to go for Friday's series opener. Victor Caratini is starting at first base in place of Rizzo on Thursday.

Smith (foot) has been cleared to begin some baseball activities, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith is trending in the right direction, as he recently shed his walking boot and has been cleared to play catch for the first time since landing on the injured list at the end of July with a stress reaction in his left foot. The 24-year-old still hasn't been given the green light to resume running, however, leaving him without a concrete timetable for his return.

Rizzo (back) is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mets.

As expected, Rizzo will miss a fourth consecutive game as he continues to battle back tightness. The hope is that the first baseman will be able to return to action during Chicago's upcoming series against the Brewers this weekend. In the meantime, Victor Caratini is starting at first base and hitting fifth in this one.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 12-3 loss to the Phillies.

Bell's 34th long ball of the season was an opposite-field shot off Vince Velasquez and allowed him to overtake Washington's Anthony Rendon for sole possession of second place in the National League RBI race (106). Though his power production since the All-Star break has dropped off dramatically from his boffo first half, Bell has at least started surging lately with three home runs in his last five games.

Hoskins went 2-for-3 with a triple, double, walk, RBI and two runs Wednesday in the Phillies' 12-3 win over the Pirates.

Hoskins is batting just .174 with five home runs since the All-Star break, but his performance Wednesday inspires some optimism about his prospects heading into the final month of the season. Per the Associated Press, Hoskins said that he estimated he swung at "80 percent" effort Wednesday in an attempt to gain better control of the barrel of his bat, and for at least one night, the change in approach paid dividends. Hoskins will look to carry over that success into the weekend series with the Mets, when he'll be scheduled to face a trio of tough starting pitchers in Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Marcus Stroman.

Hiura went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Wednesday's victory over the Cardinals.

Hiura went through a dry spell from July 28 through Aug. 6, collecting just four hits and no RBI over that span, but he has been hot since, hitting .320/.393/.640 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 84 plate appearances over 18 games. Hiura has started all but one game in August, and has occupied a spot in the top four of the batting order in all but two of those games.

Gurriel went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Rays.

Gurriel has been the Astros' most dangerous hitter since the beginning of July, no small feat given the caliber of hitters in the lineup. He has a 1.201 OPS with 19 homers and 58 RBI over 47 games. The 35-year-old, who entered the season with 34 home runs in 311 career games with Houston, has launched 27 homers in 124 games in 2019.

Abreu went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Twins.

Abreu's been piling up the milestones of late. After notching his 1,000th career hit and 100th RBI of the season over the weekend, the 32-year-old laced his 30th double of the season, becoming the first member of the White Sox to hit 30 or more doubles in six consecutive seasons. Abreu has hit safely in eight of the last nine games, going 12-for-33 (.364) with five extra-base hits and 12 RBI.

Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored Wednesday against the Orioles.

Cabrera delivered RBI hits in the first and fifth frames, continuing his strong production of late. Since Aug. 7 -- his first start with the Nationals -- Cabrera has gone 18-for-52 with 18 RBI, nine runs scored and two home runs. For the season, he's now slashing .251/.333/.419 across 429 plate appearances.

O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the A's.

With no outs in the sixth inning, O'Hearn tied the game with a two-run homer off Tanner Roark. The 26-year-old has been heating up of late, earning himself more opportunities in the Royals lineup. Through 81 games this season, O'Hearn is slashing just .177/.269/.331. He'll need to continue improving on those anemic numbers to secure playing time over Cheslor Cuthbert.