MLB Player News

Smith (quad) is 8-for-30 (.267) with two home runs, four doubles, and six RBI over eight games since beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on April 5.

Smith posted a .905 OPS over 114 games with Las Vegas a year ago, and he has fared even better there early in 2018. The Mets can stash him on the disabled list for more than another week, but unless they are ready to pull the plug on Adrian Gonzalez just a month into the season, it seems likely Smith will remain with Las Vegas when activated in order to get regular at-bats.

Cabrera is not in the lineup Sunday against the Brewers.

Cabrera will receive a routine day of rest following 10 consecutive starts. Despite his 0-for-4 showing Saturday, the veteran second baseman is off to a spectacular start this season, slashing .321/.368/.566 through his first 13 games played. Jose Reyes will take over at second base and bat seventh in his stead.

Calhoun is out of Sunday's lineup against the Royals, 610 Sports Radio Kansas City reports.

Southpaw Eric Skoglund is starting for the Royals, so Calhoun will start the game on the bench. The righty hitting Chris Young will start in right field and hit eighth.

Bour is not in the lineup Sunday against the Pirates, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Bour will receive the afternoon off following nine consecutive starts at first base. The veteran is hitting just .216 over the first couple weeks of the season, so a day off may help him clear his head. Derek Dietrich will man first base in his absence.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored Saturday against the Dodgers.

Goldschmidt enjoyed a productive performance Saturday, with the main damage coming on a two-run home run off left-hander Rich Hill in the third inning. He is breaking out of a slow start to the season with three home runs in his past four games. His value is still a bit muddled due to the humidor at Chase Field, but there is no doubt that he remains one of the best fantasy options at first base.

Gurriel went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to Texas.

Gurriel, who was playing in his second game since being activated off the disabled list, swatted his first long ball of the season. In both games, he's hit in the fifth spot of the batting order, probably the best spot in terms of knocking in runs. That was evident Saturday as Gurriel's home run plated Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa ahead of him.

Cron went 2-for-4 with a run in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Friday.

Cron boosted his average up over the Mendoza Line with his first multihit effort of the season. The 28-year-old has hit safely in seven of his nine April contests -- including each of the last three -- but a 31.9 percent strikeout rate in the early going is still helping keep his average well below acceptable levels.

Bour went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's win over the Pirates.

It's his third home run of the season, all coming in the last three games. Bour's .208 batting average should continue to rise as the season progresses, but with eight RBI in 13 games he's on his expected pace in terms of run production.

Gurriel started at first base and went 1-for-4 in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.

Gurriel returned to the active roster Friday after spending the first two weeks of the season on the disabled list with a hand injury. Manager A.J. Hinch said he doesn't plan to limit Gurriel's time, presuming he shows no signs of trouble with his surgically repaired left hand. Gurriel will play some third base at times this season and will hopefully improve his line against left-handers, against who he managed a .695 OPS in 2017.

Manager Buck Showalter said that Mountcastle (hand) is progressing well but has yet to resume hitting, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mountcastle is able to do everything else at this point, but he will likely need a few more weeks before returning to the field at the Double-A level. When the 21-year-old went down with a broken hand in mid-March, the initial timetable was four-to-six weeks, so he's currently right at the beginning of that projection. Expect to see him begin hitting in the next week or so as he gears up for a return in mid-May.