MLB Player News

Cooper (groin) is starting Friday's game against the Giants, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Cooper wasn't in the lineup for the last two games but struck out in his lone at-bat as a pinch hitter Thursday. He'll start in right field and bat fourth in Friday's contest against San Francisco.

Smith went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to Chicago.

He's now hitting .250 in 48 at-bats with two homers and six RBI this season. Smith has struck out 14 times and walked only twice, a concerning ratio for a middle-of-the-order bat on a team with postseason aspirations. That being said, his situation and performance should improve when teammates like Francisco Lindor begin producing more consistently as well.

Votto went 2-for-6 with a home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 14-11 extra-inning loss to Arizona.

The veteran first baseman struggled out of the gate but has now recorded multiple hits in four of his last six games, raising his batting average to .247. Now 37, Votto appears to have found a power resurgence late in his career, hitting 11 homers last year and four already in 2021 after totaling only 12 and 15 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Votto's days as an elite hitter may be behind him, but his offensive production remains high enough to merit fantasy consideration.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

Alonso got the Mets on the board by going yard against Trevor Williams in the fourth inning. It was the second homer in as many nights for the 26-year-old slugger, who is hitting .231/.293/.500 this season while leading New York with four long balls and 11 RBI.

Raley will start in right field and bat eighth Thursday against the Padres, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Zach McKinstry (back) was a late scratch from the lineup, forcing Raley into a starting role. The Dodgers are also without Chris Taylor (back), Gavin Lux (wrist) and Cody Bellinger (leg), which could give Raley the opportunity to see increased playing time in the short term.

Cooper (groin) could return to the lineup Friday against the Giants, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Cooper was out of the lineup as the Marlins wrapped up their series against Baltimore on Wednesday and appears headed for another absence Thursday. However, the move to hold him out of game action was deemed precautionary, so Cooper should return to the starting nine quickly.

Solano (calf) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Solano suffered a right calf strain Wednesday against the Phillies, and manager Gabe Kapler said that the infielder will miss "some time." It's not yet clear when Solano will be able to return, but Mauricio Dubon and Wilmer Flores should see increased playing time while the 33-year-old is sidelined.

Calhoun is not starting Thursday against Cincinnati, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks have been careful not to overwork Calhoun since he returned from knee surgery. He's followed a pattern of alternating between two games in the lineup and one game out ever since his return to action. If that pattern holds, he'll start the first two games of the weekend series in Atlanta before sitting Sunday. Josh Rojas starts in right field in his absence.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Reds, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera hasn't done much at the plate through 16 games this season, hitting .214/.338/.375. Eduardo Escobar will play third base Thursday, with Josh VanMeter starting at second.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk in Wednesday's 16-4 loss to the Cubs.

Alonso showcased his strength Wednesday when he absolutely barreled a high fastball 429 feet to left for a two-run homer in the fifth. The 26-year-old is slashing .229/.296/.458 with three home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored and is striking out an alarming 29.6 percent of the time, which is on pace to be the worst mark of his young career.