MLB Player News

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Wednesday's 10-5 win over the Rockies.

Cabrera rebounded after going 0-for-10 over his previous three games, knocking in a run with a ground rule double to cap a six-run sixth-inning. The veteran shortstop has finished with a slugging percentage over .400 in all but one season since 2011, and pushed himself from .399 to .405 with this performance. All of those campaigns featured at least 28 doubles, but Cabrera has just 16 this year.

Flores is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Although Flores is expected to nab most of the reps at first base moving forward, he was due for a night off after six straight starts. Jay Bruce will move in to replace him at first while Curtis Granderson fills the void in right field.

Rizzo, returning from a back injury, went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Diamondbacks.

The Cubs scored 16 runs in this one, and Rizzo was right in the middle of it. He took Arizona starter Patrick Corbin deep in the third inning with a runner on, then added a solo shot off reliever Rubby De La Rosa. Rizzo now has three home runs in his last four games and 26 for the season.

Freeman will man first base Tuesday against the Dodgers and is expected to see the bulk of his starts at the position over the final two months of the season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

In an effort to keep Matt Adams' hot bat in the lineup, the Braves moved Freeman over from first base to third base when he was activated from the disabled list July 4 following a lengthy absence due to a wrist injury. Though he wasn't a major defensive liability at the hot corner during his 16 games at the position, Freeman was never viewed as a long-term solution at the position, and will now head back to his natural spot across the diamond with the Braves eager to clear an everyday role in the infield for Ozzie Albies, who was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. Adams isn't expected to lose out on regular at-bats while Freeman slides back over to first base, as he's now set to see most of his starts in left field. Freeman could still be used at third base on a few more occasions as the season winds down, but it no longer seems to be a lock that he'll gain eligibility at the position in fantasy leagues heading into 2018.

Bour (oblique) is still at least three weeks away from resuming baseball activities, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Oblique strains do tend to take a while to heal, and it's not too surprising to hear that the Marlins are taking the cautious approach with their slugging first baseman. Considering this timeline and how far out of a playoff spot the team is, there is speculation that Bour could be held out for the remainder of the season, although no official word has come forth on that front. Tyler Moore and Tomas Telis should continue to plug the hole at first base while he's out of commission.

Rizzo (back) is starting Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, playing first base and batting third.

Rizzo was forced to sit out of Sunday's series finale with the Brewers, but Monday's off-day seems to have been just what he needed to get back into action. He'll resume his role in the Cubs' lineup as a main run producer.

Freeman went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Phillies.

The month of July wasn't quite as spectacular for Freeman as his April or May, but he still put together a .278/.350/.511 slash line with five homers and 15 RBI in 23 games. The 27-year-old slugger's next home run will be his 20th of the season and mark his fifth time reaching that threshold in seven MLB seasons.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Monday that Smith is "not far" from earning a promotion to the big leagues, Tyler Kepner of The New York Times reports.

The writing has been on the wall for Smith's promotion since everyday first baseman Lucas Duda was traded to the Rays last week, and the Mets' decision to promote top prospect Amed Rosario to the majors Tuesday may open the floodgates for further callups in the near future. Even after accounting for the tremendously hitter-friendly environment at Las Vegas, Smith's .340/.394/.534 slash line still stands out, so he certainly seems ready for his first trial with the Mets. Once his promotion eventually comes, Smith will likely occupy an everyday role at first base, resulting in the hot-hitting Wilmer Flores either moving across the diamond or settling into a bench role.

Bell launched a pinch-hit solo homer in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Padres.

Bell was scratched in favor of Jose Osuna at first base with a southpaw on the mound for San Diego, but he rewarded those who had the faith or forgetfulness to leave him in their lineups by slugging a ninth-inning long ball against left-handed reliever Jose Torres in his only at-bat of the game. That was the switch-hitter's sixth homer against lefties compared to 13 when facing right-handers.

Flores will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Mariners.

Following the recent trade of Lucas Duda to the Rays along with T.J. Rivera (elbow) hitting the disabled list with a potential season-ending injury, Flores looks like a safe bet to enjoy regular starts at first base for the foreseeable future. He's already taken advantage of the uptick in at-bats by going 8-for-26 with three home runs over the Mets' last eight games, so it may be worthwhile to keep him active in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats while he continues to sizzle.