MLB Player News

Bell will start Sunday against Washington, even though the Nationals are starting southpaw Gio Gonzalez.

The Pirates have held Bell back against some left-handed pitching -- he's slashing .232/.292/.448 in 137 plate appearances against those hurlers -- but he needs just one homer to break the franchise rookie record of 26. After a September slump, Bell has six hits (including two home runs) in his last 18 at-bats.

Cabrera is not in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Cabrera will make his way to the bench a day after slugging the game-winning home run in extra innings. Phillip Evans will take over at third base and bat second in his stead.

Cabrera went 4-for-6 with a home run and four RBI in Saturday's win over the Phillies in 11 innings.

His three-run homer in extras lifted the Mets to a win and gave Cabrera his second four-hit game of the season. Cabrera has experienced a dip in power this year, but he's improved his walk rate significantly and made more consistent contact. The Mets are likely to pick up Cabrera's $8.5 million option for 2018, according to MLB.com.

Dickson was placed on the 60-day disabled list Friday with a shoulder injury, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Dodgers were in need of a 40-man roster spot, so they decided to remove Dickson from the list by adding him to the 60-day disabled list. It's not clear how long he will need to recover from his injury, so it remains to be seen if he will be ready for spring training.

Rizzo is not in the lineup against the Reds on Friday.

Rizzo will occupy a spot on the bench for the second consecutive day following the club's division-clinching win. In his place, Alex Avila will man first base and bat seventh in the order.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to Washington.

Bell's second homer in as many outings tied the game in the top of the ninth inning and brought him up to 26 for the season. Thursday's blast ties Bell with Jason Bay for the organization's rookie home-run record. The 25-year-old first baseman has posted a respectable .256/.333/.471 slash line with 89 RBI and 73 runs to go along with the round trippers, and he projects to be a key cog in the Pittsburgh lineup for years to come.

Rizzo is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

The Cubs wrapped up a division title Wednesday, so manager Joe Maddon will rest his starters in Thursday's series finale. Victor Caratini is starting at first base and batting sixth in his place.

Votto went 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs against the Brewers on Wednesday.

He got this game started off on the right note, hitting a first-inning solo shot that turned out to be all the offense the Reds would need -- though they added more. With four games left in his season, Votto now has 36 homers, one shy of his career best, and he needs just one more RBI to hit 100 for the first time since 2011. Oh, he also has a ridiculous 133:80 BB:K, by far the best ratio in the majors.

Bell went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Orioles.

He now has 25 homers on the year, leaving Bell one shy of Jason Bay's franchise rookie record. The young switch hitter has faded a bit down the stretch in his first full big-league campaign, but he'll still head into 2018 as a key piece of the Pirates' offense.

Smith is not in the lineup against the Braves on Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith will head to the bench after going 0-for-3 with a walk during Tuesday's affair, in favor of Kevin Plawecki, who will man first base during the series finale. Over the last 10 games, Smith is hitting just .086/.135/.086 with three singles and 14 strikeouts.