MLB Player News

The Cubs exercised Rizzo's (ankle) $16.5 million club option for 2020 on Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The move comes as no surprise with Rizzo finishing 2019 with a .293/.405/.520 slash line, 27 home runs and 94 RBI in 146 games. The 30-year-old suffered an ankle sprain in mid-September and was shut down once Chicago was eliminated from the playoffs, but he initially played through the injury and it shouldn't impact his status for 2020. Rizzo is primed for another season starting at first base in the Windy City.

Freeman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Wednesday.

The procedure cleaned up loose bodies and bone spur formations in Freeman's elbow. He'd been dealing with an elbow issue throughout September and didn't perform up to his usual standards in the playoffs, going 4-for-20 at the plate. He's expected to be ready for spring training, but the procedure does still add some slight injury risk to the veteran heading into his age-30 season.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cardinals on Saturday.

Cabrera will sit for the second straight game after going 1-for-9 in the NLDS. Howie Kendrick is starting at second base, with Ryan Zimmerman at first.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Game 1 of the NLCS against the Cardinals on Friday.

Howie Kendrick starts at second base, with Ryan Zimmerman at first. Cabrera went just 1-for-9 in the NLDS.

Cabrera remains on the bench Monday against the Dodgers.

Cabrera sits for the third straight game. He's gone 1-for-8 in the postseason thus far and owns a career .197/.222/.289 mark in 21 playoff games. Howie Kendrick slides to second base in his absence, with Ryan Zimmerman starting at first.

Cabrera is out of the lineup Sunday for Game 3 of the Nationals' series with the Dodgers, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Cabrera will sit for the second straight game of the series, this time ceding second base to Brian Dozier after Howie Kendrick handled the keystone in Friday's 4-2 win. With Victor Robles (hamstring) also on the bench and uncertain to be available, Cabrera might represent the Nationals' top pinch-hitting option.

Cabrera will take a seat for Game 2 of the NLDS on Friday against the Dodgers, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Cabrera went 0-for-3 in Game 1, so he'll retreat to the bench Friday. Howie Kendrick draws the start at the keystone and will bat fifth.

Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Beaty will be on the roster for the NLDS, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Beaty filled in well for the Dodgers this season with a .265/.317/.458 slash line in 268 plate appearances, and he's rewarded with a roster spot for the NLDS. The 26-year-old will look to turn things around after finishing the regular season on a sour note, as he is 1-for-23 in his last 13 games.

Blandino went 1-for-2 with a solo home run Sunday in the Reds' 3-1 win over the Pirates.

It took him until the final game of the season, but Blandino finally secured his first home run. To be fair, he didn't make his 2019 debut in affiliated ball until early June while recovering from a torn ACL, then spent the next three months in the minors before joining the Reds as a September callup. With his health intact heading into the winter, Blandino should have a better chance at making a greater impact at the MLB level in 2020, though he'll likely be limited to a utility role if he cracks the Reds' Opening Day roster.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and a stolen base in a win over the Cubs on Sunday.

Goldschmidt carried the Cardinals' offense in the division-clinching victory, reaching base four times. He plated the first run of the game with a single in the first inning and capped the scoring in the fourth frame with a solo homer to left center field. Goldschmidt concludes his first season in St. Louis with .260/.346/.476 slash line along with 34 home runs, 97 RBI and 97 runs scored.