MLB Player News

Joseph is batting cleanup for Friday's contest with the Nationals, Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Joseph has been on an absolute tear as of late, posting a 1.318 OPS over the past seven games thanks to two homers and three doubles in that span. Due to this, manager Pete Mackanin will reward him by moving him up from his normal spot in the six-hole, which could help Joseph to drive in more runs if he keeps up his torrid run at the plate.

Votto went 1-for-3 with two RBI from a single and a groundout in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Giants.

The slugging first baseman extended his hitting streak to five games and has also reached base safely in 15 straight contests overall. He's racked up a .407 average and 14 RBI over the first 10 games of May as well, propelling his team-leading total in the latter category to 33, which also ranks second in the majors. Votto has impressively lowered his strikeout rate from 17.7 percent to 11.6 percent this season, with his contact rate seeing a corresponding boost to a career-best 85 percent. Moreover, he's accomplished his aforementioned excellent production with a .267 BABIP that is over 100 points lower than the .373 figure he'd generated the prior two seasons.

Bell is out of the lineup Thursday night against the Diamondbacks.

Bell has gone four consecutive games without collecting a hit. His recent troubles at the plate have dropped his batting average from .258 to .236 over that brief span. He'll get the night off while John Jaso fills in at first base.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Tigers.

Goldschmidt's plate discipline has been a strength for years, but he's raised the bar in 2017 with an astounding 24:29 K:BB through 152 plate appearances. His ability to rack up walks will give him even more appeal in leagues where on-base percentage is a category, but even in more traditional formats, Goldschmidt will still be an above-average asset in all five categories.

Freeman went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Astros.

The blast was his 12th of the season. Freeman's batting average has started to tumble a little, as he has just five hits in his last 26 at-bats, but three of them have left the yard, giving him a still-dizzying .336/.457/.743 slash line on the season. With his walk rate at a career high (16.7 percent), strikeout rate at a career low (18.8 percent) and his .347 BABIP falling well within his normal range, there's no reason to think a big regression is coming for Freeman.

Flores went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's loss to the Giants.

He now has seven hits in his last three games, adding nearly 80 points to his batting average in the process. It's hard to see where the 25-year-old fits into the starting lineup once Asdrubal Cabrera (thumb) is healthy, but Mets manager Terry Collins may try to find a way to get Flores consistent at-bats while he's hot.

Bour went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and two walks during Wednesday's loss to St. Louis.

It was the fifth home run of the season for Bour, and he's also now up to a respectable 21 RBI. However, after posting a .478 slugging percentage over the past two seasons, his current .396 mark stands out. There is ample power upside, and Bour should have some statistical correction ahead. This is a potential buy-low spot for the first baseman.

Joseph went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer and two runs against the Mariners on Wednesday.

He also went yard Tuesday and has gone 9-for-20 over the past six games, so Joseph's starting to right the ship after a terribly slow start to the campaign. With his bat coming alive, Joseph merits scooping off waiver wires for fantasy teams that need help on offense -- the average may not be very good, but he has legit 30-homer power.

Rizzo is not in the Cubs' lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Rizzo played both games in Tuesday's doubleheader and is still recovering from a sore wrist, so it appears to be a routine day of rest for the slugger. Rookie Jeimer Candelario will man first base in Wednesday's series finale.

Cabrera (thumb) remains out of the lineup Wednesday the Giants.

Cabrera pinch hit Tuesday for a second consecutive day, but evidently he's still not quite ready for a full nine innings. Jose Reyes will man shortstop with Wilmer Flores at third base Wednesday, while Cabrera will presumably be available off the bench once again in the series finale.