MLB Player News

Rizzo went 1-for-5 with a leadoff home run in Wednesday's loss to the Mets.

Rizzo took Matt Harvey deep to begin the game. Cubs manager Joe Maddon moved Rizzo up to No. 1 in the order on Tuesday to spark the offense, and the team responded with 14 runs. It's unclear how long this experiment might last, but for now, expect an uptick in runs but possibly a decrease in RBI opportunities for Rizzo.

Bell went 0-for-3 with a walk Wednesday against the Rockies.

He's hit 11 homers with 27 RBI but has struggled in recent weeks. Since May 20, Bell is batting .200/.277/.322 with two home runs and eight RBI in 101 plate appearances. His error at first base Wednesday led to a run, but the Pirates seem committed to keeping him there -- he's made some improvements despite his overall poor defense. In fact, Bell has been lifted for a defensive replacement in only one of his last 10 starts.

Votto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Padres.

Votto delivered a 413-foot bomb to center off Jhoulys Chacin to tie Ryan Zimmerman for the league lead. With 19 home runs and 51 RBI through 64 games, Votto is one pace for a career year. The Reds' first baseman is providing premium power while maintaining a .300 average.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Tigers.

He's now had back-to-back games with three hits including a homer. Goldschmidt has a .432/.543/.784 slash line through 11 games in June with three homers, 14 RBI and 11 runs, putting him on pace for career highs in every one of those categories.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk, three RBI and two runs against the Mets on Tuesday.

His move to the leadoff spot was a smashing success, as the Cubs broke out for 14 runs. Rizzo's now hit safely in eight straight games, and he has a ridiculous 10:3 BB:K in that span. His greatest worth has come in formats that count OBP and/or OPS, but Rizzo's 14 homers, 40 RBI and five steals are valuable stats in any fantasy setting.

Bour (ankle) says he expects to come off the disabled list when first eligible Friday, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Bour is expected to make a rehab appearance with High-A Jupiter on Wednesday before hopefully rejoining the big club ahead of Friday's series opener against the Braves. Barring any setbacks, Bour would face Jaime Garcia in his return to the lineup. Tyler Moore will lose at-bats once Bour is activated.

Hoskins, 24, is batting just .206 over his last 10 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The overall numbers are still stellar for Hoskins, as he is slashing .298/.395/.591 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI through 63 games for the IronPigs. Still, this recent cold spell combined with the resurgence of Tommy Joseph will likely quiet calls for a promotion, at least for the time being.

Cabrera was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with a left thumb sprain.

Even though Cabrera knocked a pair of homers in Monday's win over the Cubs, it appears he is still being bothered enough by the lingering thumb injury to warrant some time off. Seeing as he was able to play through the issue, it doesn't appear to be anything overly serious at this point, but more should be known about his condition soon. He would be eligible to return June 23 against the Giants if he is ready. T.J. Rivera was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding roster move, while Jose Reyes will likely see the majority of starts in his place at shortstop.

Rizzo is playing first base and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Mets.

Rizzo is in the midst of a seven game hitting streak and is batting .371 (13-for-35) with a 4:12 K:BB since the beginning of June, so manager Joe Maddon will push him up to the top of the order in an attempt to kickstart the Cubs' struggling offense. While he's batting just .249 on the season, his 14 percent walk rate has his OBP at an impressive .390. This will mark Rizzo's first big-league start in the leadoff spot.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Monday's win over the Cubs.

He's hitting only .167 (6-for-36) so far in June but three of his six hits have left the yard, giving the veteran shortstop six homers and 20 RBI on the season. His .244/.321/.392 slash line isn't going to discourage the Mets from calling up Amed Rosario if they feel their top prospect is ready, however.