MLB Player News

Flores is out of the lineup Thursday against Colorado.

Flores will stay on the bench for a second straight game after starting the previous six. This is most likely due to the production of Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson, both of whom hit home runs during Wednesday's victory. Flores will likely return to the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Dodgers.

Voit went 2-for-4 with an RBI groundout and a run in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers.

The rookie made some noise out of the seven hole, posting his first multi-hit effort since July 8. Voit hit a rough patch at the plate starting in mid-July, and Wednesday's effort helped snap the 2-for-21 slump that had encompassed the previous 11 games in which he'd registered at least one at-bat. The rookie continues to see occasional playing time, but it remains to be seen if he'll stick with the big-league club for the balance of the campaign.

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.