MLB Player News

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer Saturday against the Cubs.

Hoskins blasted his 10th home run of the season to give the Phillies a brief lead in a game they'd go on to lose. The rookie's on an amazing tear in which he's homered in seven of his last eight games, and fantasy managers can only hope that he can keep up this unbelievable pace for a while longer.

Rizzo went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs and five RBI against the Phillies on Saturday.

Rizzo crushed his 29th and 30th home runs of the season to help lead the Cubs to a blowout victory over the Phillies. He's closing out a strong month in which he's hitting over .330 with six homers, and he's been an excellent fantasy option for the entire season with a .526 slugging percentage.

Olson is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rangers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

As per usual, Olson will get the day off with the opposition sending out a left-handed starter (Cole Hamels). Ryon Healy will take over at first base in his absence.

Smith is not in the lineup Saturday against the Nationals, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Since being called up on Aug. 10, Smith has played in 15 games and is hitting just .184 at the plate, though three of his nine hits have been home runs. Smith will sit out Saturday and give way to Wilmer Flores at first base.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

The three-run third-inning jack was the deciding play in the series opener and gave Goldschmidt 101 RBI for the season, good for third place in the National League. The home run was also his 30th of the year, making Goldschmidt the first player in Diamondbacks history to turn in three seasons of 30 long balls and 100 RBI.

Abreu went 2-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 3-2 win over the Tigers.

The Cuban is now slashing .309/.343/.598 with seven homers in 24 games in August, but a lack of baserunners for him to bring home has left Abreu with only 10 RBI on the month. While his 26 home runs and .885 OPS on the year are right in line with his previous performances, it might take a miraculous finish for him to reach the 100-RBI mark for the fourth straight season.

Bell went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Reds.

His production has been overshadowed by the long ball exploits of Cody Bellinger and now Rhys Hoskins this season, but Bell has quietly put together a strong rookie campaign of his own, slashing .267/.345/.497 with 22 homers and 76 RBI. The switch hitter has been even better in August, posting a .365/.444/.581 line, and he looks set for a long stint in the heart of the Pittsburgh lineup.

Hoskins went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and a walk Friday against the Cubs.

Hoskins ripped his ninth blast of the year off Jose Quintana in the first inning to give the Phillies a lead they'd never relinquish. The rookie continues to rake, as he's homered in six of his last seven games, and in only 16 career games, he's posting an incredible .291/.418/.800 slash line. Obviously, fantasy owners will continue to ride this streak as long as it lasts.

Santana (back) is in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Royals.

Santana missed the past three games after leaving Monday's contest due to back spasms. He appears to be good to go, and could've been available off the bench during Thursday's win if he was needed. Santana will draw the start in left field, while batting sixth in the order.

Freeman said his wrist aches and that he's not as strong as he was before it was hit by a pitch in May, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "It's probably about 80-85 percent," Freeman said. "Once I started to swinging again it hasn't gotten any better."

Freeman will keep playing through it as long as it's tolerable, though, and despite this confession, he's gone .320/.391/.535 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in his 44 games since being activated from the disabled list. He was on a near-MVP pace before his wrist was plunked, but this is a good sign that he at least can remain a highly useful fantasy player down the stretch. Freeman should still garner early-rounds consideration in 2018 as long as he avoids other pitfalls along the way.