MLB Player News

Cooper will start in right field and bat cleanup Thursday against the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Cooper will pick up his fifth start in a row, but it's worth noting that the Marlins had the designated hitter available in each of the previous four games. He'll stick in the lineup Thursday over the lefty-hitting Corey Dickerson with a southpaw (Tyler Anderson) on the hill for Pittsburgh, but Cooper could still have to settle for a short-side platoon role when the Marlins are playing in National League parks.

Hiura is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Hiura had started at first base in six of the Brewers' last seven games, but that was largely a byproduct of Milwaukee facing a heavy slate of left-handed starting pitchers. Even with the platoon advantage often being in his favor, Hiura hasn't been able to do much at the plate since returning from Triple-A Nashville on May 24. In his first week and a half back with the big club, Hiura has gone 1-for-23 with 13 strikeouts. He'll likely continue to fill a short-side platoon role with the lefty-hitting Daniel Vogelbach, who gets the nod at first base Thursday.

Bell will sit Thursday against Atlanta.

Bell finds himself on the bench for the second time in three games and the third time in six contests. His .668 OPS, which is a near match for his .669 OPS from last season, doesn't exactly make a strong case for him earning everyday at-bats. Ryan Zimmerman will start at first base in his absence versus Atlanta lefty Tucker Davidson.

Cron is not in Thursday's lineup against the Rangers.

The righty-hitting first baseman is hitting .148 with 10 strikeouts, five walks and zero home runs over his last 10 games, but he is still slashing .275/.383/.450 on the season. Matt Adams draws the start at first base and will bat fifth.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Mets.

Walker was back in the lineup Wednesday against a left-hander after taking a seat the previous two games when the Diamondbacks faced righties. He hasn't been part of a platoon since emerging as a lineup regular in 2019, so having him sit against right-handers is something new, if that's manager Torey Lovullo's plan going forward. Walker, who recently returned from an oblique injury, is batting just .182 against righties in 2021. One motivating factor may be Lovullo's desire to keep the hot-hitting Pavin Smith's bat in the lineup.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Wednesday's blowout loss to the Dodgers.

Goldschmidt got St. Louis off to a fast start in the first inning, drilling a solo shot to center field. However, Los Angeles responded with 11 runs in the bottom of the frame, and Goldschmidt was pulled in the third inning with the game already out of reach. The homer was his seventh this season and first since May 11, a span of 19 games.

Smith went 3-for-4 with three singles and a walk in Wednesday's 7-6 win over Arizona.

Smith kept the line moving throughout the game, but the Mets' No. 7 through 9 hitters and pinch hitters went a combined 1-for-12. Nonetheless, it was a solid game for the 25-year-old. He's now slashing .264/.324/.365 with three home runs, 19 RBI, 13 runs scored and a stolen base in 176 plate appearances. Smith has produced three multi-hit efforts in his last six games.

Rizzo went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-1 win over San Diego.

In the fifth inning, Rizzo put the Cubs ahead with a two-RBI double. The first baseman has gone 5-for-8 in two games since he returned from back stiffness. For the year, he's slashing .275/.377/.455 with five home runs, 21 RBI, 22 runs scored and three stolen bases across 199 plate appearances.

Solano went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Angels.

Solano produced the Giants' lone run with an RBI single that scored Steven Duggar in the bottom of the seventh. The infielder has struggled a bit in terms of consistency, but he's getting the job done at the plate and has hit safely in six of his last nine contests, hitting .250 with a .766 OPS while going yard twice and plating seven runs in that span.

Flores went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's loss to the Angels.

The Giants struggled badly on offense, but Flores was one of two players that managed to record more than one knock. The versatile infielder has three multi-hit games over his last eight contests and is hitting an impressive .550 in that stretch.