MLB Player News

Diaz went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, three runs, two RBI, one walk and one strikeout Tuesday against the Royals.

This was Diaz's first home run in 245 MLB plate appearances. He is now slashing .333/.364/.476 in 66 plate appearances this season. Diaz has started three of the last four games at designated hitter, but with rosters expanded and Josh Donaldson (calf) nearing activation, that playing time pattern is not guaranteed to continue. Diaz has proven for several years in the upper levels that he can hit for average and get on base at a high clip, but he needs to tap into noteworthy power to profile down the defensive spectrum.

Rizzo, who left Tuesday's game with a bruised right foot, will not miss Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

He fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning and X-rays came back negative. While the Brewers ended up winning 11-1, they were only up 3-1 when Victor Caratini replaced Rizzo at first base in the bottom of the sixth inning, so his removal likely wasn't related to the score. That said, Wednesday's series finale is a huge game in the race for the NL Central crown, so it's not surprising to hear that Rizzo will be back out there. He went 0-for-2 and was hit by a pitch before exiting.

Rizzo exited Tuesday's game at Milwaukee with a right foot bruise, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Rizzo fouled a ball off his foot during the third inning, but thankfully X-Rays came back negative. The 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day as he continues to be evaluated.

Abreu (abdomen) underwent surgery to relieve testicular torsion and hopes to return this weekend, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

Abreu was originally targeting a mid-September return, but the first baseman is apparently feeling much better after the surgery and is hoping to beat that timeline. That said, the White Sox will likely play it safe with Abreu with the team out of playoff contention. Prior to landing on the shelf, the 31-year-old hit .272/.331/.491 with 22 homers and 78 RBI across 122 games.

Calhoun is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Calhoun sits after starting 40 straight games. He hit a solid .284/.374/.535 with nine homers over that stretch. Michael Hermosillo will get the start in right field in his absence.

Bell is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Reds.

Bell has started the previous seven games, hitting .143/.308/.238 across those contests. He'll sit in favor of Jose Osuna in Tuesday's matchup against left-hander Cody Reed.

Cooper (wrist) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Cooper will be eligible to return from the disabled list Sept. 23, though his season is likely over after he underwent surgery on his wrist at the end of August. This move frees up a roster spot for Tyler Kinley, who had his contract selected from the minors Tuesday.

Tellez will be called up by the Blue Jays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Tellez's awful 2017 in which he hit just .222/.295/.333 with six homers in a full season at Triple-A Buffalo sapped most of his prospect hype. He's been much better this year, though a .270/.340/.425 line with 13 homers is hardly impressive for a first baseman. Still just 23, he'll get the chance to see how his bat plays at the big-league level while serving in a bench role down the stretch.

Howard announced his retirement from baseball Tuesday.

It's something of a surprise that this hadn't already happened, as the 38-year-old hasn't played in the majors since 2016 and hasn't played at any level this year. The Phillies may have wished he retired after the 2011 season, as he posted a 93 wRC+ over the last five years of his career while making $125 million. The first baseman's steep decline and big contract shouldn't overshadow the success he had in the first half of his career, however, as he was a Rookie of the Year, MVP and World Series champion. He'll end his career with 1,475 hits and 382 homers, tied for 67th all time in the latter category.

Shaw came off the bench to hit his first major-league home run in Monday's 9-8 loss to Colorado.

It was also the rookie's first major-league hit after going 0-for-6 in his first three games after being called up Aug. 31. Shaw is currently on the strong side of a platoon in left field, and could be a rare source of pop in San Francisco's lineup after slugging 24 homers over 101 games with Triple-A Sacramento this season.