MLB Player News

Walker returned to the starting lineup Sunday and went 1-for-4 in a 2-0 loss to the Brewers.

Walker, who sat out Saturday's game against a right-hander, returned to the lineup against a righty Sunday. He's ridden the bench for three of the last five right-handers the Diamondbacks faced. That could be an issue if the practice continues, which could easily be the case, as Walker has a .450 OPS against righties and .520 overall.

Wade went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Cubs.

Wade led the game off with a home run off Johnny Cueto Sunday. He added two walks in the game. The 27-year-old has three long balls in his last six games. He is slashing .270/.386/.541 with five RBI and six runs in 14 games since being called up to replace Darin Ruf (hamstring).

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk, a caught stealing and two strikeouts in a 6-2 win over the Padres on Sunday.

Smith walked and was caught stealing second base in the second inning and blasted a solo home run to center in the fourth. After launching 10 home runs in 50 games in 2020, Smith has just four through 49 games season but owns a decent .260/.332/.373 slash line. One added factor of late has been Smith's activity on the bases, with both his steals and lone caught stealing all having come in June.

Cabrera flew out as a pinch hitter in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Milwaukee.

Cabrera was activated from the injured list Friday and has entered the last three games as a pinch hitter, going 0-for-2 with an RBI sacrifice fly during that span. The Diamondbacks are off Monday, so there's a chance that the veteran infielder could return to the starting lineup Tuesday or Wednesday in Oakland.

Manager David Bell said Sunday that Votto's left thumb was sore following his most recent rehab game at Triple-A Louisville, but that the first baseman remains a possibility to return from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Brewers, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Votto has been on the shelf since early May with a fractured left thumb, but he looks to be nearing the finish line in his recovery despite the fact that he continues to tend to some soreness. The 37-year-old remained in the lineup for Louisville on Sunday while starting at first base rather than at designated hitter, an indication the Reds aren't too concerned about his thumb. Through the first five games of his rehab assignment with Louisville, Votto has gone 4-for-17 with a pair of extra-base hits.

Flores (hamstring) will start at third base and bat cleanup Sunday against the Cubs, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Back in action after a two-game layoff due to a tight hamstring, Flores could be in position to take on a full-time role at the hot corner for the foreseeable future. The Giants moved Evan Longoria (shoulder) to the 10-day injured list Sunday, and manager Gabe Kapler acknowledged that the veteran third baseman would need 4-to-6 weeks to recover from his injury. In addition to Flores, the Giants could look to Mauricio Dubon and the newly recalled Thairo Estrada to help fill in at third base while Longoria is on the shelf.

Cooper (back) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Manager Don Mattingly revealed that a stiff back forced Cooper out of the lineup Saturday, and it now looks like he'll have to sit again Sunday. Jesus Aguilar will get the start at first base and bat fourth. It's not known at this point if Cooper could be available off the bench.

Cabrera entered as a pinch hitter Saturday for the second straight game, striking out for starter Merrill Kelly in a 7-5 loss to Milwaukee.

Cabrera, who was activated from the injured list Friday, has appeared as a pinch hitter in each of the two games since. Per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Cabrera is running at about 80 percent, but the infielder was anxious to get back. He had been playing four to five games per week prior to the injury, but Cabrera could be restricted in the short term.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a home run in Saturday's loss to the Phillies.

Bell socked a solo shot in the eighth inning off reliever Jose Alvarado, but that would be everything he'd do in a game where the Nationals struggled badly on offense. The slugging first baseman has gone deep eight times this season and has hit safely in four of his last six games, a span in which he has notched two of his eight long balls.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Dodgers.

Saturday was his first multi-hit performance since May 25. Freeman contributed to the offense with an RBI single in the third inning. In the seventh, he walked and worked the back of a double-steal with Ronald Acuna. Freeman has slashed an unimpressive .233/.360/.455 across 242 plate appearances this year. He's done better in the counting stats with 13 home runs, 31 RBI, 37 runs scored and three stolen bases.