MLB Player News

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, a walk and two runs against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. He also struck out twice.

It was a three-true-outcomes day for the rookie, who's still looking to stabilize his stats -- he's hitting just .190/.227/.429 through his first 44 big-league plate appearances. Smith hit for average reliably in the minors, though (including a .330 mark at Triple-A this year), so his future in that category looks bright, and his power has been developing steadily. He may not be a major fantasy asset this year, but the 22-year-old could start producing Eric Hosmer-esque stats as soon as next season.

Santana (back) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Santana will spend another day on the bench following Monday's removal due to back spasms. He sat out Tuesday and could miss more time depending on how quickly he recovers from the setback. Santana should be considered day-to-day for the time being, while Edwin Encarnacion draws another start at first base and Yandy Diaz gets the nod at DH.

Hoskins went a combined 2-for-7 with a home run, a walk and two RBI during Tuesday's doubleheader against the Marlins.

The 24-year-old is already up to six homers in just 45 at-bats with the big club, and he's also drawn nine walks in 13 games. He's looking like the real deal and is seemingly locked into the cleanup spot in the order, although Hoskins may face an adjustment period at some point (as is typical for young hitters) when the league starts giving him a heavier dose of breaking and offspeed stuff.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Mets.

Goldschmidt busted out of a three-game hitless streak -- his longest of the season -- in his first at-bat of the contest, sending a Tommy Milone offering to left field to put runners on second and third for J.D. Martinez, who clubbed a three-run shot. He would hit another double in the fifth inning to give him 30 for the season, marking the sixth consecutive campaign that he's reached that plateau.

Rizzo went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, an RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

After picking up National League Player of the Week honors Monday, Rizzo showed no signs of slowing down Tuesday. He's slashing a ridiculous .423/.531/.692 over his last seven games with four doubles, a home run and nine RBI. Fantasy owners should sit back and enjoy the ride.

Joseph went a combined 3-for-8 with a double, two solo home runs and a third run scored in Tuesday's doubleheader against the Marlins.

The Phillies dropped both ends of the twin bill thanks to some dreadful pitching, but Joseph did his best to slug the team towards comebacks. He hadn't homered since July 28, hitting just .155 (11-for-71) during that power outage, and it was beginning to look like the only thing keeping Rhys Hoskins from taking his job at first base was the fact that they needed Hoskins in left field due to all their outfield injuries. A big finish to 2017, however, could still help bolster Joseph's job prospects for next year.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Mariners.

He's now put together a tidy 11-game hitting streak, batting .404 (19-for-47) over that stretch, but Freeman's only got one homer and five RBI during the streak despite all those hits. His 1.047 OPS on the year remains elite, however, and his counting stat production should pick up again soon enough.

Santana (back spasms) is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Red Sox, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

He tried to play through back spasms Monday, but exited early and will get this game off as well as he tries to get right. Jason Kipnis is starting at DH while Jose Ramirez slides over to second base and Giovanny Urshela gets the not at the hot corner. Consider Santana day-to-day.

Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.

Carlos Santana is currently dealing with back spasms, so Diaz could see the occasional start in the short term, but he is likely up primarily to offer depth off the bench. Diaz has one of the best approaches in the minors, but has never been able to offer enough power to realistically profile as an everyday player at a corner spot. Still, that approach and his excellent hit tool might be enough for him to get some looks over the final six weeks. He has a .350/.454/.460 slash line with five home runs in 85 games at Triple-A this year and recently turned 26.

Smith is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Smith is hitting just .158 (6-for-38) since being recalled from Triple-A, so he'll get the day off to clear his head after starting 11 of the last 12 games. Wilmer Flores will slide over to first base in his stead, pushing Asdrubal Cabrera over to third base while Gavin Cecchini starts at the keystone.