MLB Player News

Wade (hand) is batting leadoff and playing first base Friday against the Nationals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Wade did not play Thursday after exiting Wednesday's contest with a left hand strain, but he appears to be healthy once again entering the weekend series against Washington. He has hit .233 with three home runs and six RBI in his last 30 at-bats dating back to June 26.

Cron (head) is batting sixth and playing first base Friday against the Padres.

The first baseman cleared the concussion protocol Thursday after taking a pitch to the head, and is back in action to open the series in San Diego. Cron has hit just .221 off right-handed pitching this season, but Friday's opponent Reiss Knehr will be making his MLB debut.

Beaty went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base Thursday against the Marlins.

Beaty had a busy day at the plate and delivered his first multi-hit effort since May 28. The highlight of his performance came in the fifth inning, when he delivered an RBI single that put the Dodgers up for good. One frame earlier, he also recorded his first stolen base of the campaign. Beaty is now hitting .255/.346/.380 across 156 plate appearances on the season.

Bell was doing work in the outfield prior to Thursday's game against the Padres, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Bell was tracking flyballs and moved minimally from side-to-side before making routine catches. Though he hasn't appeared in the outfield since 2016 as a member of the Pirates, Bell came through the team's minor-league system as a right fielder. It's unclear if he'll appear there in game action, though the Nationals have gotten thin on the depth chart with both Kyle Schwarber (hamstring) and Andrew Stevenson (oblique) currently sidelined.

Cron is doing okay after being hit in the head by a pitch Thursday, and he cleared the concussion protocol, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.

Cron exited the game in the seventh inning, though manager Bud Black stated it was as a precaution. It appears he could be able to return to the lineup Friday against San Diego as a result. If not, Joshua Fuentes figures to see an uptick in playing time.

Cron was removed from Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks in the top of the seventh inning with an apparent head injury, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Cron was hit in the head by a pitch in the top of the seventh inning, but the ball appeared to hit his helmet. The 31-year-old was able to walk to first base, but the Rockies chose to remove him from the game following the incident. Prior to his departure, he went 0-for-2 with a run and a strikeout. It's not yet clear whether the injury will limit his availability going forward.

Hoskins is not in the lineup Thursday against the Cubs, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins started the past six games and will receive a day off after going 8-for-21 with three homers, four doubles, three walks, nine RBI and four total runs during that stretch. Brad Miller will start at first base in his place.

Walker isn't starting Thursday's game against the Rockies.

Walker drew starts in each of the last seven games, but he'll get a breather after he hit .250 with a double, three RBI, a run and 10 strikeouts during that time. Pavin Smith will start at first base and bat third.

Cooper went 3-for-3 with a walk and two solo home runs in Wednesday's 9-6 win over the Dodgers.

He took Jake Reed deep in the first inning and Phil Bickford in the sixth, feasting on the lesser names in the Los Angeles bullpen. Cooper is batting a dizzying .483 (14-for-29) in 11 games since returning from the IL while slugging four of his nine homers on the year.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Phillies.

Rizzo played a key role in a badly needed win, as the Cubs had lost 11 games in a row before Wednesday's contest. The first baseman missed three games during the skid with back tightness, and since returning Friday, he's gone 6-for-22 with two extra-base hits. If Chicago has any chance of getting back into the NL Central race, it'll need Rizzo to stay healthy and get hot at the plate in a hurry.