MLB Player News

Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.

Bell has gone hitless and tallied six strikeouts at the plate over his past three games. In addition, the switch hitter is batting just .218/.299/.425 in 97 plate appearances against southpaws, and San Diego will start lefty Clayton Richard. Jose Osuna will draw the start at first base in his stead.

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.

Cabrera has picked up 10 hits over the previous six games but went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts during Saturday's contest. He'll receive a day of rest with Matt Reynolds taking over at third base.

Rizzo is dealing with a sore back and is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Rizzo never appeared to explicitly injure his back during Saturday's contest, so it appears that he may be dealing with some general back soreness that comes with the wear and tear of a long season. The Cubs are off Monday, so the star first baseman will be given at least two full days to rest his ailing back. Victor Caratini draws the start at first base in his stead, batting eighth.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and three RBI in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Cardinals.

The homer was Goldschmidt's first since July 14, ending a 13-game drought for the All-Star. Even with the slight downturn in power in the second half, Goldschmidt is still sitting on a career-best .577 slugging percentage for the season, and has continued to exhibit top-notch plate discipline. He's drawn at least one walk in each of the last seven games and has produced four two-hit efforts during that time, aiding him to a ridiculous .636 on-base percentage.

Votto went 2-for-3 with a solo homer in Saturday's loss to Miami.

It was 16 games between homers for the first baseman, and Votto posted an alarming .204 slugging percentage during that stretch. Traditionally, he's been a much better second-half producer, so fantasy owners shouldn't overreact to his recent struggles.

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in Friday's win over the Mariners.

His audition for prospective future employers continues to go swimmingly with the trade deadline looming, and Cabrera is now slashing .444/.483/.593 over his last seven games with four multi-hit performances.

Joseph went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer Friday against the Braves.

Joseph clubbed his 16th homer of the season as part of a seven-run fifth inning that helped lead the Phillies to a home victory. Although he carries a weak batting average, his power potential has made him a useful corner infield option for fantasy owners.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Thursday's loss to the Padres.

The Lucas Duda trade almost certainly signaled a mass exodus of Mets veterans before the deadline, and Cabrera is right at the top of that list. The 31-year-old has kept his market value high by slashing .302/.383/.434 in 14 games since the All-Star break, and his defensive versatility should make him an enticing option for a contender looking to bolster its infield depth.

Smith was not in the lineup Thursday at Triple-A Las Vegas, and he's expected to be called up soon, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The first baseman is set to take his place on the major-league club following the Thursday trade of Lucas Duda to the Rays. After a crisp climb through the ranks, Smith has nothing left to prove at the highest minors level given his .337/.390/.524 line with 15 homers, 68 RBI and 72 runs scored across 449 plate appearances this year. Fantasy owners who still can grab him should do so as soon as possible.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Cardinals.

With one home run since the All-Star break and none in his last 11 starts, Goldschmidt hasn't lived up to his billing as the team's top power threat, but fortunately for the Diamondbacks, recent addition J.D. Martinez hit a grand slam Thursday and has picked up the slack. Goldschmidt has at least remained a pillar in batting average and on-base percentage for fantasy owners, as he's now put together three consecutive two-hit performances and five straight games with at least one walk.