MLB Player News

Rizzo exited Saturday's contest with back tightness, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Rizzo exited the contest in the fifth inning, as Jonathan Lucroy replaced him as a pinch hitter. The severity of the injury is not yet known.

Cooper is not in the lineup Saturday against the Phillies.

Cooper has now been absent from the starting lineup in three of the team's past four games. He got off to a slow start in August, going hitless in his first five games. However, he then reached base in 10 of his next 12 starts, making the timing of his removal from the lineup a bit curious. Regardless, Neil Walker will bat second and man first base in his place.

Hiura went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

The rookie continues to rake. Hiura is slashing .286/.360/.532 through 19 games in August, and in 64 big-league contests he has 15 home runs, eight steals, 38 RBI, 41 runs and a dynamite .958 OPS.

Freeman went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a walk Friday night against the Mets.

Freeman kicked off the scoring in this one with an RBI single to center field. He continues to produce at the dish this season for Atlanta, registering three home runs and six RBI over his last four matchups.

Naylor is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.

Naylor rarely starts against left-handed pitchers, so it should come as little surprise that he was held out Friday with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on the bump for the Red Sox. Wil Myers will occupy Naylor's regular spot in left field.

Freeman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Marlins.

Freeman took Ryne Stanek deep in the eighth inning to record his 34th home run of the season, while also knotting the game at 2-2. He's gone an uncharacteristic 6-for-31 across his last eight contests, though he continues to provide plenty of pop as he's smacked five homers in that span. For the season, Freeman has maintained a strong .304/.395/.575 line across 570 plate appearances.

Cooper is not in Thursday's lineup against the Braves, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

He will sit for a second game in a row, with Neil Walker getting another start at first base while hitting cleanup. Prior to these two days off, Cooper had started 12 of 13 games. He is hitting .246 with one home run in 61 at-bats this month.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and three runs Wednesday in the Cubs' 12-11 win over the Giants.

Rizzo notched an extra-base hit for the third game in a row and benefited from being in the heart of the order on a night in which the Cubs exploded for their most runs of the second half. While baseball's power-happy environment in 2019 hasn't dramatically elevated Rizzo's production, his .290 average and 25 home runs, 80 RBI and 80 runs just over three quarters through the season is roughly on par with what his fantasy managers probably expected on draft day.

Cabrera went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 11-1 win over the Pirates.

It's his 14th homer of the season and second as a Nat, and both have come within the last three games. Cabrera's now 12-for-37 (.324) since coming over from the Rangers, but his .244/.329/.417 slash line on the year offers a better reflection of his fantasy potential.

Cooper is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Braves, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

He is hitting .250 with one home run and 20 strikeouts in 60 at-bats this month. Neil Walker will start at first base and bat cleanup.