MLB Player News

Smith, 21, is hitting .315/.367/.468 with three home runs and a 20:9 K:BB in 120 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas.

For the third season in a row, Smith's batting average sits above .300 and his strikeout rate sits below 17 percent. He is a very advanced hitter for his age, and should continue to post excellent numbers in the hitter-friendly home ballpark in Las Vegas and the generally high-scoring environments throughout the Pacific Coast League. Unless Lucas Duda suffers a very significant injury, it seems likely that Smith will spend the bulk of the season at Triple-A; however, he could assume the starting duties after Duda presumably leaves in free agency this winter.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBI in Friday's 6-3 win over the Rockies.

It's the 10th career multi-homer game for Goldschmidt, who has been a thorn in the Rockies' side throughout his seven MLB seasons. In 420 career plate appearances against Colorado pitchers, Goldschmidt has slashed .330/.433/.575 with 16 homers and 80 RBI. With two more games at Coors Field on tap for the weekend, Goldschmidt profiles as a solid cornerstone for any DFS lineup.

Cabrera was not in Friday's lineup due to continuing stiffness in his hamstring and knee, Seth Walder of The New York Daily News reports.

He was able to pinch hit Friday, but the veteran is clearly not 100 percent as he plays through lower-body issues. The Mets are considering various ways to keep Cabrera healthy, including shifting him to third base, but for now just accept that he'll get more frequent days off while manager Terry Collins tries to find ways to decrease his workload. Cabrera's .255/.333/.373 slash line may also remain fairly stagnant until he's able to get healthy.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs in Friday's win over the Brewers.

Bell blasted his fifth homer of the season to extend the Pirates lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning of a winning effort. He's hit each of his bombs over the last 15 games, and should he continue his power surge, he could become a player worth using with confidence in fantasy lineups.

GM Matt Klentak said that the Phillies are not ready to give up on Joseph after just 90 plate appearances this season, Corey Seidman of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Joseph is hitting just .207/.267/.341 with two homers this season, and Rhys Hoskins is raking at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, prompting questions from the media about when his time will come. Joseph has seen his strikeout rate rise from 21.6 percent last season to 27.8 percent this season, which has contributed to his season-long slump. He went through stretches last season where he was striking out at a similar clip, but would have months where he adjusted and dropped his strikeout rate into the mid or high teens. He'll need to make those kinds of adjustments again in the next month or so before the Phillies reconsider giving Hoskins a shot. Joseph has shown some signs of coming out of his slump with a .267/.364/.579 slash line over his last seven games.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Marlins, Michael Baron of SNY reports.

It appears to be just a normal off day for Cabrera, as Jose Reyes will get the start at shortstop. He's expected to be back in the lineup Saturday, but with manager Terry Collins considering a position swap for Cabrera and Reyes, it may not necessarily be at shortstop.

The Mets have considered moving Cabrera to third base and Jose Reyes to shortstop, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Cabrera is hitting just .248/.327/.366 on the year, and ongoing knee issues may be contributing to declining work in the field. Manager Terry Collins recently said Reyes "hates" manning third base, though the 33-year-old infielder disputes that notion. However, the club is hesitant to force Cabrera to switch positions because it's believed he's against the idea. If New York tries the swap even for a brief stretch, though, it could cement both players' dual eligibility for this and, if it sticks, next season.

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

The home run was Goldschmidt's fifth of the season, and he's now up to 22 runs, 21 RBI and eight stolen bases with a .311/.454/.524 slash line for the campaign. The dip in his slugging percentage is mildly concerning, and it might be the continuation of a trend after Goldschmidt hit just 24 long flies last year. However, his five-category profile remains extremely valuable, and he's a power outburst away from silencing those doubts.

Votto went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs during Thursday's win over Pittsburgh.

It's been a monster start to the season for Votto, as the first baseman is up to 22 runs, nine home runs and 24 RBI with a .270/.375/.610 slash line. Considering he's historically been a slow starter and a better hitter in the second half, 2017 is shaping up to be another banner campaign for Votto.

Hoskins is hitting .333/.429/.643 with seven home runs in 84 at-bats for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Hoskins leads the International League in home runs and is showing that last year's power outburst wasn't just a product of playing half his games in a homer-friendly ballpark at Double-A Reading. He's also cut back on his strikeout rate thus far, going from 21.2 percent last season to 16.3 percent this year while also seeing his walk rate tick up a point. Tommy Joseph has struggled to get things going this season, but a change at first base in Philly doesn't seem imminent. If Hoskins keeps hitting he could get a look in the majors this summer, assuming Joseph doesn't come out of his funk.