MLB Player News

Freeman is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants.

The Braves are going with a quasi "hangover" lineup after clinching their second consecutive division title Friday night. Austin Riley replaces Freeman at first base.

Cooper (knee) remains out of the lineup Saturday against the Nationals.

A jammed knee forced Cooper from the Marlins' Sept. 13 game and he has not made an appearance since. Earlier this week, Craig Mish of FNTSY Sports Radio indicated that while Cooper's injury isn't thought to be serious, he may not be able to return this season. Cooper is looking like one of the few locks for the Marlins' 2020 lineup.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and two runs scored Friday night against the Reds.

Alonso gave his team some cushion in the eighth inning with a two-run blast to center field, his 50th of the season. The 24-year-old has now homered in three straight contests, registering five hits and six RBI over that stretch.

Cooper (knee) remains on the bench Friday against Washington.

A knee issue has now kept Cooper out of action for a week. It's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Lewis Brinson starts in right field in his absence.

Rizzo (ankle) will remain in the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

Rizzo suffered a moderate ankle sprain Sunday but was back in the lineup just four days later, hitting a solo homer in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals. Manager Joe Maddon cast some doubt on Rizzo's ability to play back-to-back games right away, but the first baseman is evidently able to tough it out. His presence is certainly a boon for the Cubs, who now sit one game out of the second wild-card spot after Thursday's loss. Rizzo will lead off and play first base Friday.

Bohm recorded four hits, a run and a pair of RBI in his Arizona Fall League debut Thursday.

The third overall pick in the 2018 draft, Bohm tore through Low-A Lakewood, High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading this season, hitting a combined .305/.378/.518. He showed both good power and a strong ability to make contact, striking out just 13.5 percent of the time. Bohm should start next year in Triple-A Lehigh Valley but may not take long to reach the big leagues, as the Phillies have a hole at third base due to the stagnation of Maikel Franco.

Manager Joe Maddon is unsure if Rizzo (ankle) will be able to play Friday against the Cardinals, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Rizzo was a surprising addition to Thursday night's lineup, and while he did contribute with a solo home run, the slugger obviously wasn't close to 100 percent. His availability for the remainder of the series should become more clear after he's re-evaluated Friday. Victor Caratini figures to take over at first base if Rizzo is unable to go.

Rizzo (ankle) was added to the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

It was thought that Rizzo was still a few days away from being ready to play, but he worked out prior to Thursday's game without issue, so the Cubs felt comfortable getting him back in the lineup right away. Rizzo will lead off and play first base in his return.

Naylor is not in Thursday's lineup against the Brewers.

He will sit for the second time in the last three games. Now that Hunter Renfroe is fully healthy, Naylor will likely split time with him in right field over the rest of the season. Naylor is hitting .250/.365/.386 with one home run in 44 at-bats this month.

Hiura went 1-for-4 with a home run in Wednesday's loss to the Padres.

Padres starter Dinelson Lamet carved up the Brewers on Wednesday, outside of Hiura's sixth-inning solo shot that brought his team within a run. Hiura has not finished a game since rejoining the lineup a couple days ago, but he still received seven at-bats over the last two games and is 3-of-9 since returning to action Sept. 14 after missing just over two weeks with a hamstring injury. Hiura figures to play regularly the rest of the way, and it should not be much longer before he is ready to play a full nine innings again.