MLB Player News

Rizzo went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in a 9-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

It's been a slow start to the season for Rizzo, as he's still batting just .220 even after the three-hit day, but this is what the 29-year-old is capable of in the middle of a strong Cubs lineup. Rizzo now has five home runs and 16 RBI this year, and his long track record suggests that the batting average should continue to rise.

Flores went 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and one run scored in Friday's 8-3 win over the Cubs.

Flores contributed early offense with a weak grounder that eluded Ben Zobrist and delivered two runs in Arizona's three-run first inning. This was his first multi-RBI game of the season. Flores' sluggish start -- he's hitting just .222 with five RBI over 23 games -- makes him an ideal candidate to sit out games when manager Torey Lovullo wants to get the Diamondbacks' hot hitters in the lineup.

Cooper (calf) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Jupiter on Friday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Cooper has been out of action since late March. It's not yet clear how long his rehab assignment is expected to last.

Walker went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Walker finished up a 10-game road trip as stylishly as the Diamondbacks did. Arizona went 8-2 and swept the Pirates and Braves, while Walker batted .447 (17-for-38) with eight extra-base hits, including three home runs, and eight RBI. Off the radar when the year started, Walker ranks 10th with a 180 wRC+ through 24 games.

Freeman went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Reds.

Freeman took southpaw Zach Duke deep in the eighth inning to record his third home run of the season. He has been consistent in his production to start the season, racking up at least one RBI and run in six of his last 10 games. Through 111 plate appearances, he's hitting an impressive .326/.441/.500.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run in a win over the Brewers on Wednesday.

Goldschmidt's average sat at an unsightly .180 following an 0-for-5 day against the Dodgers on April 13. However, the slugger has subsequently hit safely in 11 straight games, a stretch during which he's laced three doubles, slugged three home runs and compiled nine RBI. He's raised his average 101 points as a result, but he'll benefit from whittling down a 26.4 percent strikeout rate that qualifies as his highest since his initial 48-game big-league cup of coffee in 2011 with the Diamondbacks.

Flores is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Flores will sit for the second time in the series while he continues to fall short of expectations at the plate. The 27-year-old has yet to hit a home run and is sitting on a lowly .522 OPS this season, which ranks 194th among the 209 players who have logged at least 70 plate appearances.

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a walk, a triple, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Mets.

On Tuesday, Hoskins got buzzed high and tight by a couple of Jacob Rhame fastballs; on Wednesday the slugger took his revenge, ripping a Rhame fastball over the left-field fence in the ninth inning for his seventh homer of the year and then taking over half a minute to slowly and pointedly trot around the bases. The teams won't face each other again until late June, but expect tensions to be high. Hoskins now boasts a .273/.402/.580 slash line through 23 games with 20 RBI.

Bell went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and walk in an 11-2 loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

The Pirates first baseman has continued his impressive start. Last year, he hit just .261 with 12 homers, which are very weak numbers for a first baseman. This season, he looks more like the top prospect he was a couple years ago. Bell is hitting .299 with five home runs, 17 RBI and 15 runs in 77 at-bats this year. He's slugging .623 and has a strong walks-to-strikeouts ratio -- 11 versus 17 -- as well.

Alonso will sit Wednesday against the Phillies.

Alonso finds himself on the bench for just the third time this season. Dominic Smith gets the start at first base.