MLB Player News

A back injury that continues to plague Cubs slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo has him sidelined again for the Friday afternoon game against visiting Pittsburgh.

Rizzo, who could be shut down for the rest of the season, has not played since Aug. 26. If he has indeed played his last game, he will finish the year with a fine stat line of .278/.375/.514 and 30 home runs.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said he could accept losing the rest of the season to a back strain despite the frustration.

"If I'm shut down, I'm shut down," he told MLB.com. "My main concern is being full strength in the offseason and getting ready for next year. Obviously, I want to come back and play - it's not fun sitting around and watching. We're not going to go crazy and rush to get back and have it re-occor over and over. We want this to be the first and last time it ever happens."

The Cubs have no plans yet to shut down Rizzo, who has been out since Aug. 26. He has emerged as one of the premier sluggers in the sport this season with a stat line of .278/.375/.514 and 30 home runs.

If rosters hadn't just expanded at the start of September, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo would probably be on the disabled list with a back strain, the team announced Tuesday.

Rizzo had an MRI taken on his back which showed a mild lower back strain, an injury that has already cost him eight games. If the team was still restricted to a 25-man roster, Rizzo would have already been placed on the disabled list. He will try to rehab the injury while remaining active at this point, and the team is not considering shutting him down for the final month.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Brewers, as he continues to deal with a back injury. He has now missed eight games in a row as a result of this injury, the extent of which is still not known.

The Marlins added four players from Triple-A New Orleans Tuesday, as part of September roster expansion.

The Marlins recalled pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Andrew Heaney , along with infielders Jusin Bour and Enrique Hernandez , the team announced.  

Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera went 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 6-4 win over the Dodgers Monday.

Cabrera hit one of the four home runs served up by Dodgers starter Roberto Hernandez on the night, giving the second baseman four home runs since joining the Nationals at the July 31 trading deadline. He has hit .245/.312/.397 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI and seven stolen bases in 473 at-bats.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was held out of the starting lineup again Monday against the Brewers. He has been sidelined since Tuesday because of a back injury. He is expected to have an MRI in the near future if the injury doesn't improve, MLB.com reports. He is hitting .278 with 30 homers and 71 RBI over 486 at-bats.

The Braves recalled pitchers Juan Jaime and Chasen Shreve and outfielders Jose Constanza and Joey Terdoslavich from Triple-A Gwinnett.

As expected, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo did not return for Sunday's series finale at St. Louis. It was the sixth straight game Chris Valaika started for Rizzo, who is sidelined due to a back injury.

"He’s still day to day," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said Sunday, per MLB.com. "He came in [Saturday] and wanted to play. We have to make sure we’re prudent and playing this smart. We’ll give him another day and when we get back, we’ll see how he’s doing."

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo told reporters he does not expect to play at all in the team's current series against the Cardinals, as he tries to overcome ongoing back issues.

Rizzo has not played since injuring his back Tuesday, and will hope to take a few more days off to help it heal. The Cubs' next series begins Monday against the Brewers, and he will be looking to return to action then.