MLB Player News

Smith was not in the lineup Thursday at Triple-A Las Vegas, and he's expected to be called up soon, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The first baseman is set to take his place on the major-league club following the Thursday trade of Lucas Duda to the Rays. After a crisp climb through the ranks, Smith has nothing left to prove at the highest minors level given his .337/.390/.524 line with 15 homers, 68 RBI and 72 runs scored across 449 plate appearances this year. Fantasy owners who still can grab him should do so as soon as possible.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Cardinals.

With one home run since the All-Star break and none in his last 11 starts, Goldschmidt hasn't lived up to his billing as the team's top power threat, but fortunately for the Diamondbacks, recent addition J.D. Martinez hit a grand slam Thursday and has picked up the slack. Goldschmidt has at least remained a pillar in batting average and on-base percentage for fantasy owners, as he's now put together three consecutive two-hit performances and five straight games with at least one walk.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a steal in Thursday's win over the White Sox.

Rizzo now has four home runs and 11 RBI since the All-Star break. With 24 home runs on the season, the slugging first baseman has a good shot of topping his career high of 32 home runs in a season, a mark he reached in 2014 and 2016.

Abreu went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs during Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

The pair of long balls ended a 15-game homer drought and gives Abreu 18 for the year to go along with 63 RBI, 57 runs and a .297/.352/.521 slash line. Those numbers move the needle in all fantasy settings, and Abreu projects to remain a solid option.

Mountcastle is 4-for-27 with seven strikeouts since moving up to Double-A Bowie, and he's struggled with transitioning from shortstop to third base, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

The sample size is small, but Mountcastle's .882 fielding percentage at the hot corner suggests he's adjusting to more than just better pitching. The 20-year-old hit .314 with an .885 OPS in 88 games with High-A Frederick before being promoted. Dynasty owners shouldn't worry, as growing pains were to be expected.

Gillaspie broke a toe during his Tuesday game with Triple-A Durham and will miss 1-to-2 weeks, so he'll start his White Sox career with Triple-A Charlotte, Chuck Garfien of CSN Chicago reports.

This will delay any shot of him joining the big club in the near future. Gillaspie is batting .227/.296/.357 with nine home runs, 44 RBI and 45 runs scored in 395 plate appearances this season.

The White Sox acquired Gillaspie from the Rays for relief pitcher Dan Jennings, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

As a decently hyped corner-infield prospect, Gillaspie has had a steady climb up the minors in the last four years. He's taken a step back at Triple-A Durham this year, though, compared to 2016. The 24-year-old's .227/.296/.357 line is at least accompanied by nine home runs in 395 plate appearances, so maybe he'll show more thump in time. With Jose Abreu at first base, however, Gillaspie merely profiles as mildly intriguing insurance this year, unless Chicago is going to bring him up to the majors immediately as it tries out its young players. Maybe the switch hitter can snag at-bats as designated hitter in the short term. Either way, this isn't a bad chance for the White Sox to take.

Rizzo went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI during Wednesday's win over the White Sox.

The first baseman now has three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, seven runs and an .886 OPS through 12 games out of the All-Star break. With the Cubs beginning to click offensively, Rizzo projects to have a strong second half, and he's already positioned himself to top 30 homers and 100 RBI for the third consecutive campaign.

Joseph could be splitting time at first base with Rhys Hoskins over the final two months of the season, Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins is ready for a promotion to the majors, but Joseph has been productive as the Phillies' regular first baseman this season. Neither player is an option in the outfield and both hit right-handed, which leaves the Phillies having to consider a time share at first base. The Phils are willing to trade Joseph, but the market for first basemen is limited at the moment. A trade may have to wait until the offseason.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, three walks and three runs against the Braves on Wednesday.

He's been an on-base machine lately, drawing eight walks while collecting five hits in 12 at-bats over the last four games. Goldy is also in the midst of an 11-game homer drought, though, and over his last 27 contests, he's hit an uncharacteristically weak .255 with only three homers while striking out at an increased clip. It's quite conceivable that these last few games are indicating a turnaround in progress, though; it's hard not to believe in Goldschmidt at this point.