MLB Player News

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a solo home run, two walks and two total runs scored in a loss to the Brewers on Monday.

The performance was a prototypical one for Goldschmidt, one that showed off his timely hitting, power and plate discipline. Unfortunately, it was the type that hasn't been overly common for him yet this season, as even the stellar showing versus Milwaukee only served to raise his average to .226. Things are looking up, however, as Goldschmidt is now 5-for-12 with a double and Monday's homer over the last three games.

Cooper (calf) took batting practice on the field Monday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Cooper has been on the shelf all month after suffering a left calf strain during the Marlins' season-opening series. While he remains without a concrete return date, the 28-year-old is finally starting to make tangible progress in his recovery, as he also started a running progression Monday.

Votto is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Dodgers.

Votto will receive his second day off of the season after previously resting April 7 against the Pirates. Over his five starts since that time, Votto has gone 5-for-18 with four runs and an RBI. Kyle Farmer will swap in for Votto at first base as the Reds look to get another right-handed bat in the lineup to counter Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw.

Bell went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, one walk and two RBI against Washington on Sunday.

He's lifted his batting average to .314 and looks more like the promising rookie from 2017 than the disappointing hitter from last season. Bell has nine extra-base hits in 14 games, including three homers: He didn't collect his ninth extra-base hit until his 35th game in 2018. Pittsburgh's offense has struggled to score runs, but not because of Bell. As a result, it wouldn't be surprising to see opponents begin to pitch around the 26-year-old in the coming games.

Walker went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Sunday's 8-4 win over San Diego.

After two homers in his first two games, Walker was just 5-for-36 in April prior to Sunday's breakout game. He owns a .923 OPS in 52 plate appearances after posting just a .614 OPS in 53 plate appearances last season.

Flores is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against San Diego.

Flores went 2-for-11 with a double as he started the first three games of the series, but he will take a seat for the finale. Ildemaro Vargas will start at the keystone and bat second while Ketel Marte is in center field.

Rizzo won't play Sunday against the Angels with the contest being postponed due to inclement weather in Chicago, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

A makeup date for the interleague game has yet to be announced. Rizzo and the Cubs will be back in action Monday, when the team kicks off a three-game series in Miami.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in a 6-3 victory over the Nationals on Friday.

The 26-year-old is off to a nice start, slashing .295/.373/.568 with three homers, 10 RBI and six runs in 44 at-bats. That's certainly encouraging after last season's disappointment. Bell hit .261 with only 12 homers and 62 RBI in 2018.

Rizzo went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in a 5-1 victory over the Angels on Friday.

That bomb gives Rizzo 10 RBI and 10 runs this season, but he's off to a slow start in just about every other category. He's only 10-for-49 (.204) with three homers and a .408 slugging percentage this season. Rizzo hit .149 in the first month last season too and ended the year with a .283 average and 25 homers. With that in mind, it's far too early to panic over the Cubs first baseman.

Alonso is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Braves, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Alonso has started the last seven games at first base and slashed .370/.452/1.037 in that stretch with five home runs, but nonetheless takes a seat on the bench Friday. Dominic Smith will grab his second start of the season at first base and bat sixth in his absence.