MLB Player News

Cronenworth (finger) is starting at first base and hitting second Saturday against the Cardinals.

Cronenworth was held out of the starting lineup for the last week, though he did make an appearance as a pinch hitter Friday. Now back in the lineup, Cronenworth may find a regular home at first base, as it appears that the Padres are contemplating keeping Fernando Tatis at shortstop. In turn, Eric Hosmer is out of the lineup Saturday and could lose playing time to close the season.

Bell is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Bell was a fixture in the Nationals' lineup for the last 23 games, so he'll get a deserved breather. He hit well in that span, logging a .310/.423/.609 line with seven home runs, 18 RBI and 11 runs scored across 104 plate appearances. Ryan Zimmerman will start at first base in Bell's absence.

Solano went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 6-5 extra-innings win over Atlanta.

The 33-year-old missed about three weeks due to COVID-19, but he was able to make a near-instant impact in his return to the big-league roster. Solano's pinch-hit, ninth-inning solo shot forced extra innings, where San Francisco ultimately won on a sacrifice fly by ace starter Kevin Gausman. Through 321 plate appearances, Solano has seven home runs, 31 RBI, 32 runs scored, a pair of stolen bases and a .278/.338/.406 slash line. He's expected to see a short-side platoon role with Tommy La Stella at second base going forward, although Solano could also fill in at shortstop or third base.

Wade went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 6-5 extra-innings win over Atlanta.

Wade deposited his 18th homer of the year into McCovey Cove to give San Francisco a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. The 27-year-old has seen part-time work in September, but he's posted a .341/.442/.568 slash line in his last 52 plate appearances. For the year, Wade is batting .264 with 50 RBI, 48 runs scored and six stolen bases.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, a double and two runs in a win over the Padres on Friday.

Although Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson stole the show by combining for three home runs, Goldschmidt found a way to once again make an impact at the plate. The veteran's second-half tear has persisted in fine fashion in September, as he now boasts a .321 average, 1.051 OPS, four doubles, four home runs and eight RBI across 15 games during the month. Additionally, Friday's multi-hit effort was his third in the last four contests.

Calhoun went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks Friday in a loss to the Astros.

The veteran outfielder was activated from the injured list earlier Friday after missing over a month with a hamstring strain. He broke a scoreless tie with his solo shot in the sixth inning and also drew two free passes. It has been an injury-plagued season for Calhoun, who has been limited to 37 games and 145 plate appearances. He has only four homers on the campaign, putting into serious peril his streak of seven straight seasons with double-digit long balls.

Solano (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

Solano went 2-for-9 with an RBI during three games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento, and he's now set to rejoin the big club ahead of the series opener against Atlanta. While Solano won't have an everyday role going forward, he should see time across the infield during the season's final weeks.

Calhoun (hamstring) was activated off the injured list and will start Friday against Houston, batting fifth and serving as the designated hitter.

Calhoun missed over a month with a hamstring strain but is ready to go after appearing in just a single official rehab game. He's hit an unremarkable .238/.293/.354 in 140 plate appearances this season and is a 33-year-old on an expiring contract (assuming the Diamondbacks don't pick up his option), so he could find himself sitting regularly as the team tries out younger players down the stretch.

Cronenworth (finger) will remain on the bench Friday against the Cardinals.

Cronenworth hasn't played since last Friday while recovering from a small finger fracture. Previous reports indicated that the Padres hoped he'd return during the weekend series against St. Louis, which could still happen, though it won't be happening in the series opener. Fernando Tatis remains the shortstop Friday, with Jurickson Profar making another start in right field.

According to manager Jayce Tingler, when Cronenworth (finger) returns to the lineup, he will likely see playing time at first base, second base and shortstop, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Cronenworth is expected to return at some point during the team's weekend series against the Cardinals. In his absence, Fernando Tatis has been playing at shortstop and Jurickson Profar in right field. If the team plans to move Tatis back to right field, Cronenworth could slot back into a regular shortstop role -- his primary position since the team acquired Adam Frazier. However, the team could also use Cronenworth's return as a way to mix-and-match the lineup, with Eric Hosmer being a potential playing-time loser in that scenario.