MLB Player News

Walker went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in a 9-7 defeat for the Diamondbacks against the Cardinals on Monday.

It was the 27th homer of the year for Walker, who cranked a fourth-inning solo shot off Adam Wainwright. It's been a streaky season for the 28-year-old, but his overall numbers are solid, to the tune of a .261/.346/.471 slash line across 147 games.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, three runs scored and a walk in the Cardinals' 9-7 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Making his return to Arizona for the first time as a member of the Cardinals, it looked like old times for Goldschmidt, who tagged Alex Young with a two-run blast in the fifth inning and scored three of his team's nine runs. He hasn't quite lived up the lofty standards he set during his tenure in Arizona in his debut campaign with St. Louis, but Goldschmidt has still managed respectable numbers overall, posting a .260/.348/.474 slash line with 32 homers and 94 RBI in 156 games.

Smith (foot) hit against live pitching Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith hadn't faced live pitching since suffering a stress fracture in his foot in late July. He'll be eligible to return Wednesday and appears to have a chance to do so if a follow-up CT scan that day yields good news. The Mets may want him to make a handful of at-bats over the final few games even if they're eliminated from playoff contention by that point.

Cabrera (ankle) is back in the lineup Monday against the Phillies.

Cabrera left Saturday's game against the Marlins with a sore ankle. He was able to appear off the bench Sunday and will feature from the start of Monday's contest, batting sixth and playing second base.

Flores is not starting Monday against the Cardinals.

Flores has hit .359/.405/.615 over his last 22 games. Eduardo Escobar slides to second base in his absence, with Jake Lamb starting at third.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's win over the Cubs.

Goldschmidt's RBI was a very important one, as his ninth-inning double knocked in the winning run for the Cardinals and clinched the team's first playoff berth since 2015. Goldschmidt has certainly contributed to St. Louis' success, though perhaps not quite as much as the Cardinals had hoped, as his .258/.346/.468 season slash line is notably lower than his .290/.389/.533 mark from last season.

France went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a pair of runs scored in Sunday's victory over the Diamondbacks.

France hit his seventh homer of the year in the fourth inning against Robbie Ray, cutting Arizona's lead to two. He later scored the game-tying run in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch. France has now hit .286/.375/.667 in the month of September, though his season slash line still sits at a poor .238/.302/.413 through 65 games.

General manager Neal Huntington said during his Sunday radio show that Bell (groin) could return before season's end, 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh reports.

"He's making progress, it was going to be a multi-week injury anyway," Huntington said. "He's putting in the work. He wants to be healthy going into the offseason but ideally he'd like to finish the season healthy." Bell, who will be eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2020, has already set career highs in doubles (37), homers (37) and RBI (116).

Freeman will stay in Atlanta for further treatment on his injured right elbow and will miss the Braves' two-game series in Kansas City that begins Tuesday, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Freeman was removed from Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Giants in the eighth inning after experiencing some discomfort in his elbow, which has been bothered by a bone spur in recent weeks. Since the Braves already have the division locked up, they'll err on the side of caution and withhold Freeman from action for a few days before he rejoins the big club in New York over the weekend for the season-ending series with the Mets. Though he'll head to New York, Freeman isn't guaranteed to rejoin the starting lineup before the postseason. Francisco Cervelli replaced Freeman at first base in Sunday's contest, but rookie Austin Riley could also be asked to make some appearances at the position while Freeman is out.

Freeman was removed from Sunday's game against the Giants in the top of the eighth inning with an apparent right arm injury, Fox Sports South reports.

After receiving a maintenance day Saturday, Freeman checked back into the lineup at first base for the series finale, going 0-for-3 with an RBI before bowing out of the contest. Since Atlanta has already punched its ticket to the postseason, Freeman's late removal could've been for precautionary purposes, but expect the Braves to provide clarity on the matter.