MLB Player News

Gurriel will serve as the designated hitter and hit sixth Sunday in his major-league debut.

Gurriel did not tear the cover off the ball during his stint in the minors, but the Astros are ready to let him show what he can do at the top level. He will likely jump between the DH and third base spots and usually occupy a spot somewhere between fifth and seventh in the batting order.

Howard is in the lineup Sunday against the Cardinals, Stephen Gross of the Morning Call reports.

Tommy Joseph will head back to the bench as Howard gets the nod to start at first and bat cleanup. Howard owns a disappointing .197 batting average for the season, but has hit .345/.387/.776 with seven home runs since the All-Star break.

Freeman is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Freeman is riding a 10-game hitting streak and has a good track record against Sunday's opposing starter, Gio Gonzalez, but he also has not had a day off since April 14, so manager Brian Snitker decided to give him one Sunday. Nick Markakis will get the start at first base in Freeman's place.

Votto is out of the lineup for Sunday's outing against the Dodgers, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Votto went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI on Saturday, but will give way to Ivan De Jesus at first base Sunday. Votto, who's hitting .409/.517/.727 with two home runs over the last seven games, will likely return to the lineup Monday for the Reds' series finale against Los Angeles.

Bell will make his first big league start at first base Sunday against the Marlins, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

As a mid-game replacement Saturday, he popped out to center field and played two innings of defense at first base. Following a four-game dalliance with Pittsburgh just prior to the All-Star break, Bell hit .211/.312/.275 in 125 Triple-A plate appearances. With David Freese set to serve as the Bucs' primary third baseman while Jung-Ho Kang (shoulder) recovers, Bell's main competition at first base figures to be John Jaso and Sean Rodriguez. A strong performance Sunday could net him addtional playing time in the coming week.

Gurriel will be recalled from Triple-A and start at DH for Sunday's game against Baltimore, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gurriel went 4-for-18 with a home run at Triple-A as he had 56 at-bats at four levels of Houston's minor league system as he quickly got ready for the majors after the Cuban defector signed in July. It's not clear if he'll play DH or third base regularly but it's thought he'll be part of the everyday lineup.

Abreu went 2-for-3 with a walk, solo homer and two runs scored Saturday against the A's.

Abreu has been on a tear this month, going 25-for-68 (.368) with four home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs in 17 games. He's hit safely in all but one game in August, while getting on base more this month than any other time during the 2016 campaign. Considering his numbers over the first two years of his career, Abreu hasn't given owners exactly what they'd hoped for this season, but the first baseman is locked in heading down the home stretch of the fantasy season.

Cron (hand) was activated from the disabled list and is in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

As expected, Cron will return Saturday after missing more than a month with a fractured hand. The infielder struggled during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake, but he'll nonetheless slot into the lineup at first base Saturday. Cron will bat sixth in the order against Luis Cessa.

Bell was recalled by the Pirates on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bill Brink reports.

Jung Ho Kang was placed on the DL with a shoulder injury Saturday, so David Freese figures to play primarily at third base in the short term, opening up some at-bats for Bell at first base. The Pirates clearly don't love Bell's defense at first base, as his bat is big league ready and John Jaso has been awful offensively over the last few months. Nonetheless, it would seem they will have to give him a chance there at some point, and Kang's injury opens up an opportunity. In shallower non-keeper leagues, he may not be the best add, as he won't play every day, but in deeper formats he could offer enough with his bat to be useful if he's only starting four or five day per week.

Howard will sit out Saturday's matchup with the Cardinals.

He'll be replaced by Tommy Joseph at first base. It simply appears to be a routine day off for the Howard, who is slashing just .197/.252/.448 on the season.