MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres, Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports reports.

He'll cede his spot in the outfield to Juan Lagares, who returns to the starting nine for the first time since July 18. Despite Smith's shortcomings on the defensive end, the Mets seem inclined to keep him around in a near-everyday role with little at stake amid a non-contending season. While Smith owns a stellar .872 OPS on the campaign, he has yet to find much success at the plate in July, going 9-for-51 with a .192 on-base percentage.

Solano got a start at the keystone Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a double in a 4-1 loss to the Cubs.

Solano got a rare start against a righty, but it may have been the result of lefty Jon Lester getting scratched late due to an illness. The 31-year-old infielder has been a hit machine when called upon this month, going 21-for-54 (.389) over 16 games (11 starts) in July. Despite Solano's current hot streak, his inconsistent playing time and absence of power or speed suppresses his fantasy value.

Flores went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Flores started against Baltimore left-hander John Means, just the second start in the seven games since he was activated off the injured list. He went hitless in his first seven plate appearances before rapping out a pair of hits Wednesday. Flores is expected to be in the lineup whenever a lefty is on the mound. When the Diamondbacks face a right-hander, manager Torey Lovullo has used Eduardo Escobar at second base and Jake Lamb at third.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and three runs in a 14-8 victory against the Pirates on Wednesday.

For the third straight day, Goldschmidt hit a homer against the Pirates, and dating back to last week, this was his fourth consecutive game leaving the yard versus Pittsburgh. Goldschmidt probably wishes he could face Pirates pitching more often, but he does have seven round trippers overall this month. He's now slashing .250/.336/.444 with 31 extra-base hits (including 21 homers), 52 RBI and 61 runs in 376 at-bats this season.

Rizzo was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Giants, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports. He finished 1-for-3.

Rizzo acknowledged he expressed frustration with home plate umpire Jordan Baker over a call in the fifth inning, though he said the ejection caught him by surprise. The Cubs also came into Wednesday in the midst of a three-game losing streak, so perhaps there was some extra tension in the air as the NL Central race has tightened. Rizzo will carry a .926 OPS, 20 home runs and 69 RBI into a pivotal series that starts Friday in Milwaukee.

Hiura went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Reds.

The rookie went deep to lead off the fifth inning, Hiura's 10th homer of the year. He's slashing .327/.384/.613 through his first 40 big-league games, and despite Travis Shaw's apparent resurgence in the minors, it seems unlikely Hiura will lose his grip on the starting second base job in Milwaukee.

Hoskins went 2-for-5 with two walks and an RBI in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Tigers in 15 innings.

Hoskins turned in his second game-winning hit in as many days, with his base knock in the top of the 15th allowing Scott Kingery to score the go-ahead run. With only two long balls thus far in July, Hoskins hasn't quite lived up to expectations in the power department, but he's been a premium asset in leagues that count on-base percentage as a category. He's posted a 16:15 BB:K in 17 games this month, aiding him to a .434 OBP.

Votto went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and three runs Tuesday in the Reds' 14-6 win over the Brewers.

Votto's two-run home run in the sixth inning marked the first time he's left the yard since June 25. The 2010 National League MVP has now supplied two-hit efforts in four of his last five games, but the batting-average boost he provides isn't quite enough to offset his lack of home-run and RBI production. Votto will be back in the lineup Wednesday for the final game of the series, manning first base and batting second.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 4-3 victory against the Pirates on Tuesday.

Once again, Goldschmidt tormented the Pirates with a key homer during the Cardinals' comeback win. Goldschmidt smashed a grand slam in extra innings against Pittsburgh on Monday. He is only batting .248, which is 45 points below his career norm, but Goldschmidt does have 20 homers, 50 RBI and 57 runs in 367 at-bats. He is on his way to his third straight 30-homer season.

Hiura (quadriceps) is starting at second base and batting seventh Tuesday against Cincinnati.

Hiura was scratched from Monday's lineup due to quad tightness, but he was able to make a pinch-hit appearance Monday night and has been given the green light to return Tuesday. The rookie second baseman has been red hot of late, slashing .486/.537/.865 with a home run and nine RBI over his last 10 games.