MLB Player News

Rizzo is not in the lineup Saturday against the Marlins.

Rizzo is just 1-for-10 over his last three starts, so he'll head to the bench for a breather as manager Joe Maddon shuffles the Cubs' lineup around. Kris Bryant is starting at first base in Rizzo's absence, with Ian Happ getting the nod at the keystone and Javy Baez sliding over to the hot corner.

Bell went 1-for-4 with his 14th homer -- and second in three games -- Friday against St. Louis.

The switch hitter continues to show defining splits which could help decide whether to start him or sit him. Against right-handed pitching, Bell is slashing .257/.340/.497 with 10 homers and 25 RBI in 187 at-bats. Southpaws are limiting the rookie to .169/.246/.390 with four homers and eight RBI in 59 at-bats.

Cabrera has requested a trade from the Mets after he was moved to second base, the New York Daily News reports.

One of Cabrera's conditions for signing with the Mets in the first place was that he would only play shortstop, He is a free agent after the season and understands that a huge amount of his value rests on his ability to play the position. For now, Cabrera is in the lineup as the Mets' starting second baseman, but his time in New York could be growing short.

Cabrera (thumb) was activated from the disabled list Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

As expected, Cabrera will rejoin the Mets for Friday's series opener against the Giants after the minimum stay on the disabled list. Gavin Cecchini was sent to Triple-A in a corresponding roster move, which could mean Cabrera will see a decent amount of starts at second base in Neil Walker's (hamstring) absence.

Freeman (wrist) was cleared to take dry swings Friday and hopes to begin a rehab assignment in early July, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan reports.

This is a big step for Freeman, who will continue to ramp up his workouts as he eyes a return to the Braves before the All Star break. Barring any setbacks, he could set out on a rehab assignment as early as July 3, putting the earlier plausible return date for the slugger sometime during the July 6-9 series against the Nationals. The plan is still to bring Freeman back as a third baseman in an attempt to keep Matt Adams' bat in the lineup.

Cabrera (thumb) may fill in at second base when he returns from the disabled list, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Neil Walker (hamstring) is looking at an extended absence, which has left a hole at second base for the Mets. Cabrera has experience at second base, including 48 starts at that spot while with the Nationals in 2014. If the Mets do opt to use Cabrera there, Gavin Cecchini would be a candidate to be sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, four RBI and two runs during Thursday's win over Colorado.

Goldschmidt made the most of his trip to Coors Field going 7-for-12 at the dish with two homers, seven RBI and six runs. The big series helped him leapfrog teammate Jake Lamb to take over the RBI lead in the majors with 64, too.

Joseph went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI during Thursday's win over St. Louis.

Joseph snapped an eight-game RBI drought with Thursday's outburst, and he's now up to 11 homers, 35 RBI and 27 runs with a respectable .261/.313/.450 slash line for the year. The first baseman doesn't offer much game-to-game consistency, but he's quickly establishing himself as a capable power hitter with 32 bombs through the first 606 plate appearances of his career.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBI in Wednesday's 16-5 win over the Rockies.

It was yet another stellar performance from Goldschmidt, who delivered his third multi-hit effort in four games, yet he was somehow overshadowed by teammates Brandon Drury (4-for-6, six RBI) and David Peralta (4-for-5, four runs) on a night where the Diamondbacks attack was firing on all cylinders. That's been a more common theme this season than in years past, but if anything, it elevates Goldschmidt's fantasy ceiling. Thanks to the capable bats behind him, he'll likely continue to pile up runs even when he's not roping doubles and blasting home runs. He's currently on pace to score 144 runs over 162 games, which would shatter last season's career-best mark of 106.

Bell went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Brewers.

The 24-year-old is now chasing history, as his 13 homers leave him just two shy of Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner's franchise rookie record for home runs in the first half. Bell's .235 batting average is a disappointment considering he routinely challenged or broke the .300 mark in the minors, but as his game continues to develop the switch hitter could emerge as a legitimate four-category fantasy producer.