MLB Player News

Rizzo (back) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Reds.

This comes as no surprise, as Rizzo, who has been sidelined since Sunday with back tightness, said earlier Wednesday that he'll most likely return Thursday or over the weekend. Kris Bryant is covering first base in his place.

O'Hearn is on the bench Wednesday against lefty Mike Minor and the Rangers.

O'Hearn has started against just three of the 12 lefties the Royals have faced this season. Hunter Dozier starts at first base, with Kelvin Gutierrez at third.

Cron went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's win over the Angels.

Cron came up empty for the third straight game following a 10-for-17 run with a trio of home runs during the four games prior to this. He's now batting .237 with nine homers, 23 RBI and 16 runs scored and remains a rather one-dimensional fantasy option.

Flores is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Ketel Marte's ability to play both second base and center field has left Flores and Jarrod Dyson to contend for one spot in Arizona's everyday lineup throughout the season. The playing-time distribution has mildly favored Flores thus far, but he'll head to the bench for the second time in the series after an 0-for-4 showing in Tuesday's 6-2 loss.

Rizzo (back) said he'll most likely rejoin the lineup Thursday against the Reds or over the weekend against the Nationals, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Rizzo didn't rule out a return to the lineup Wednesday, though he suggested it was unlikely. The first baseman has been sidelined since Sunday due to back tightness, but it doesn't sound like the issue will force him to spend time on the IL.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers, four RBI and a walk in a 6-2 victory against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

It's still early, but Bell is in the National League MVP conversation right now. With this pair of homers -- one of which was another massive shot more than 450 feet -- he has already matched his 12 home runs from last season in just 167 plate appearances. Bell is also currently on a 14-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .421 with 13 extra-base hits. Overall, Bell is batting .329 with a .692 slugging percentage, 12 home runs, 39 RBI and 27 runs in 146 at-bats.

Votto was responsible for the Reds' only run in Tuesday's loss to the Cubs, hitting a solo homer against Kyle Hendricks.

The homer was Votto's fourth of the season, and he's still hitting a mere .207/.323/.357 during the campaign. He entered the game with an average exit velocity of 87.8 mph, which is right around his average in the Statcast Era. But he's striking out at a far greater pace than he has in previous seasons.

Guerrero went 3-for-4 with a walk, two home runs and four RBI in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Giants.

The 20-year-old struggled through his first 20 games in the majors but finally went yard Tuesday, absolutely pulverizing a first-inning fastball from Nick Vincent and a sixth-inning changeup from Reyes Moronta -- with the two blasts traveling a combined 889 feet. Guerrero raised his slash line to .235/.328/.392 with the performance, and his numbers could climb rapidly now that he's finding his stroke again.

Hiura went 2-for-3 with a walk Tuesday against the Phillies.

Hiura collected his first major-league hit in the second inning, hitting a line drive that deflected off pitcher Jerad Eickhoff. He also found his way on base twice in the remainder of the game, drawing a free pass in the fourth inning and singling to left field in the eighth. He's off to a good start with the big-league club after managing a .333/.408/.698 line in 37 games at Triple-A San Antonio.

Bour was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake after Tuesday's loss to the Twins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Bour started just two of seven games after Shohei Ohtani (elbow) returned from the injured list, and his .163/.268/.316 slash line and lack of defensive versatility made him an unappealing bench option. Albert Pujols and Ohtani should continue to handle the everyday duties at first base and designated hitter for the Angels, respectively.