MLB Player News

Freeman (foot) is starting at first base and batting third Sunday against the White Sox.

Freeman made a precautionary exit from Saturday's contest after being hit by a pitch, but he won't be forced to miss a start. The 29-year-old has started all but two games at first base for the Braves this season and has a .297/.390/.568 slash line with 36 home runs and 109 RBI.

Rizzo is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Rizzo missed the previous five contests before returning to the lineup Saturday, but he'll take a maintenance day in the series finale, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. Victor Caratini will start at first base while Jonathan Lucroy takes over behind the plate.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles, a walk and a run during a win over the Reds in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday.

Goldschmidt made his fair share of contributions to the Cardinals' 10-run outburst to kick off their day, pushing his August RBI total to 15. Although it was just a so-so month at the plate (.250) for Goldschmidt after a resurgent July, he heads into September having churned out multi-hit efforts in four of his last nine games.

Blandino was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

Blandino missed the first two-plus months of the season after tearing his ACL and MCL last summer, and he's been at Louisville since being activated off the injured list in mid-June. The 26-year-old had a .247/.386/.372 slash line in 70 games at Triple-A.

Olson went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two walks and two RBI in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Yankees in 11 innings.

Olson has now reached base in all but three of his 11 plate appearances through the first two games of the series in New York. He'll look to stay hot while sticking in the lineup in the series finale Sunday, though he'll draw a lefty-on-lefty matchup with southpaw J.A. Happ on the bump for the Yankees.

The Astros scratched Gurriel from their lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays due to a left elbow contusion, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gurriel reached base four times in Saturday's 6-4 loss, recording a double, single and walk and also getting plunked by a pitch. The pitch did strike Gurriel on the left elbow, so he's presumably managing some soreness and was likely pulled from the starting nine as a precaution. The Astros should provide an update on Gurriel's condition prior to the team's two-game set in Milwaukee that begins Monday.

Cron is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.

He'll cede first-base duties to Willians Astudillo (oblique), who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Sunday. After homering in his third straight contest in Saturday's 10-7 loss and turning in a monstrous 1.064 OPS over his past 10 games, Cron still looks locked into a near-everyday role.

The Twins reinstated Wade (thumb) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Wade spent nearly two months on the IL with a dislocated right thumb, which he sustained in just his second career game at the big-league level. After wrapping up a 10-game minor-league rehab assignment, Wade is healthy again, but he's not expected to see much more than the occasional spot start or pinch-hitting opportunity in September while the Twins aim to improve their playoff positioning.

Lowe was called up from Triple-A Durham and will serve as the Rays' designated hitter and No. 8 batter Sunday against the Indians, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The trade-deadline acquisition of Jesus Aguilar left no room in Tampa Bay for Lowe, but the rookie will rejoin the big club as part of the expanded September roster. While he'll immediately draw back into the lineup upon his return, Lowe may only be in store for a handful of starts per week while Ji-Man Choi and Jesus Aguilar form a platoon at first base and Avisail Garcia regularly occupies the designated hitter spot.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Dodgers.

Walker's two-run blast in the fourth inning off Clayton Kershaw, his 24th, helped erase the Dodgers' 3-0 lead, then his diving stop initiated a 3-6-1 double play in the ninth inning to help preserve the win. The 28-year-old native of Pennsylvania has enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 with 24 home runs and an .828 OPS. Some may have wondered if the hot start he showed in March and April would sustain, but more than 500 plate appearances into the season, he has grabbed hold of the everyday job at first base.