MLB Player News

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs Tuesday against the Marlins.

After hitting his first home run of the season Sunday, Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate Tuesday. His first came in the fourth inning off left-hander Caleb Smith and his second in the eighth inning off right-hander Kyle Barraclough. He has proven over the past few seasons that he can still hit for power as a right-handed batter, but posted only a .407 slugging percentage from the left side of the plate last season. However, he already has four extra-base hits this season as a left-handed batter, which could make him an underrated source of power in the early going.

Bell went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI in Tuesday's 8-5 win against the Cubs.

Bell's terrific start to the season continued Tuesday, as his multi-hit effort brought his batting average up to .333 through 10 games. With eight runs scored and seven RBI in that time, Bell has been a solid source of run production as well. Going forward, Bell is in line to serve as the Pirates' everyday first baseman and should see plenty of opportunities to continue elevating the .258 career batting average he entered the season with.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with an RBI triple and a run scored in Monday's 2-1 win over the Giants.

Goldschmidt's first-inning triple ended a five-game streak in which the first baseman failed to collect an extra-base hit. The three-bagger would be the only highlight of the night for Goldschmidt, as he struck out in two of his final three at-bats to lower his average to .118 for the season. A .190 BABIP has been a major factor behind Goldschmidt's poor start, but the 30-year-old also isn't hitting the ball with much authority in the early going. He sports groundball and soft-hit rates of 52.4 and 19 percent, respectively, both well above his career marks of 44 and 11.3 percent.

Rizzo (back) had an MRI which came back clean Tuesday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Rizzo's back tightness wasn't expected to be a major issue, and the MRI confirms that's the case. He'll be eligible to return Monday and expects to do just that, saying he feels much better already. Efren Navarro was called up to replace him on the Cubs' active roster.

Rizzo (back) was placed on the 10-day DL on Monday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

As planned, the Cubs have placed Rizzo on the disabled list so that he can recover from a recent spell of back tightness. It isn't expected that he'll be on the shelf for an extended period of time, as he'll be eligible to return April 16, but a more specific timeframe for his eventual return should be available soon. With Rizzo out, look for Victor Caratini to continue seeing time at first base. The team has yet to announce a corresponding move after sending Rizzo to the DL.

Rizzo (back) is expected to be placed on the disabled list, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

If Rizzo ends up on the DL, he'll be eligible to return April 16 for the Cubs' series opener against the Cardinals, as the move would be retroactive to April 6. Although there hasn't been any indication that Rizzo's bout of back tightness is a serious injury, the club will take a cautious approach with the star first baseman. Until Rizzo is ready to return, expect Victor Caratini to occupy first base for the Cubs.

Cooper (wrist) saw a hand specialist Monday and will be in a cast for a week, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Cooper managed to avoid any fractures in his injured wrist, but it seems as if the hand specialist he saw still wants him to take extra precautions. This new wrinkle means that the earliest Cooper can return to action will be next Monday, a few days after he's first eligible to return. It's unclear if he'll need a few extra days to get back into the swing of things once he gets the cast off, though.

Blandino was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

This comes as little surprise, as the infield prospect was lifted from Sunday's Triple-A game almost immediately after Eugenio Suarez was revealed to have a fractured thumb. Blandino hadn't collected a hit with Louisville this season, but he produced an .834 OPS with the Triple-A club in 63 games with them last season. He figures to provide infield depth for Cincinnati while Cliff Pennington moves into regular duty at third base.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Sunday's extra-inning win over the Nationals.

The switch hitter is having a strong start to 2018, slashing .333/.405/.515 through eight games. He's been bouncing all around the lineup, but with Michael Conforto back in the leadoff spot, Cabrera hit fifth Sunday and will likely remain there for the most part moving forward, providing him with solid run-producing opportunities even once he cools down.

Blandino was removed early from his game Sunday with Triple-A Louisville, suggesting that he'll be recalled Monday by the Reds prior to Cincinnati's series opener in Philadelphia, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic Cincinnati reports.

Blandino's departure came less than an hour after the Reds announced that everyday third baseman Eugenio Suarez suffered a fractured right thumb when Suarez was struck by a fastball from the Pirates' Jameson Taillon earlier Sunday. Cliff Pennington substituted in at third base in the bottom of the fourth inning and is expected to vie for starts at the hot corner with Blandino and fellow reserve infielder Phil Gosselin for the duration of Suarez's absence, which is expected to last multiple weeks. As a result, Blandino won't necessarily be in store for consistent at-bats in the wake of his callup, but he should at least get the opportunity to stake his claim to a regular role. The 25-year-old slashed .265/.382/.453 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI while splitting time between Louisville and Double-A Pensacola last season.