MLB Player News

Rizzo is not in the lineup against the Reds on Friday.

Rizzo will occupy a spot on the bench for the second consecutive day following the club's division-clinching win. In his place, Alex Avila will man first base and bat seventh in the order.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to Washington.

Bell's second homer in as many outings tied the game in the top of the ninth inning and brought him up to 26 for the season. Thursday's blast ties Bell with Jason Bay for the organization's rookie home-run record. The 25-year-old first baseman has posted a respectable .256/.333/.471 slash line with 89 RBI and 73 runs to go along with the round trippers, and he projects to be a key cog in the Pittsburgh lineup for years to come.

Calhoun is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Calhoun retreats to the bench following Wednesday's loss, which eliminated the Angels from playoff contention. Shane Robinson will pick up a start in his place, while batting ninth in the order.

Rizzo is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

The Cubs wrapped up a division title Wednesday, so manager Joe Maddon will rest his starters in Thursday's series finale. Victor Caratini is starting at first base and batting sixth in his place.

Votto went 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs against the Brewers on Wednesday.

He got this game started off on the right note, hitting a first-inning solo shot that turned out to be all the offense the Reds would need -- though they added more. With four games left in his season, Votto now has 36 homers, one shy of his career best, and he needs just one more RBI to hit 100 for the first time since 2011. Oh, he also has a ridiculous 133:80 BB:K, by far the best ratio in the majors.

Calhoun went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the White Sox.

Calhoun broke out of his lengthy power drought, delivering his first long ball since Aug. 26. The big day at the plate should pique fantasy owners' interest, but the veteran outfielder was already trending upwards -- literally -- since being moved into the leadoff spot Sunday. The Halos are one of a handful of teams who have four games left on the schedule, giving Calhoun a slight edge over similar assets who may have Thursday off.

Bell went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Orioles.

He now has 25 homers on the year, leaving Bell one shy of Jason Bay's franchise rookie record. The young switch hitter has faded a bit down the stretch in his first full big-league campaign, but he'll still head into 2018 as a key piece of the Pirates' offense.

Smith is not in the lineup against the Braves on Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith will head to the bench after going 0-for-3 with a walk during Tuesday's affair, in favor of Kevin Plawecki, who will man first base during the series finale. Over the last 10 games, Smith is hitting just .086/.135/.086 with three singles and 14 strikeouts.

Calhoun led off and went 0-for-3 with a pair of walks and a pair of runs scored in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the White Sox.

Manager Mike Scioscia shuffled his lineup three days ago, placing the struggling outfielder atop the batting order. Calhoun has benefited from the change, reaching base five times and scoring three runs over those three contests. Batting in front of Mike Trout is always a boost to any hitter's confidence, making the 29-year-old a solid source of runs as the season comes to a close.

Rizzo went 0-for-4 with a walk in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals.

Rizzo has been scuffling a bit lately, as he has just one hit in his last 15 at-bats and he's hitting just .241 this month. Rizzo is too talented to stay in a slump for long.