MLB Player News

Kirilloff is 1-for-8 in his first two games for Low-A Cedar Rapids.

Kirlloff, the 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft, missed the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He's back to full strength as he played right field on Saturday. He should not be forgotten in dynasty leagues as he still has special offensive potential.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Sunday's extra-inning win over the Nationals.

The switch hitter is having a strong start to 2018, slashing .333/.405/.515 through eight games. He's been bouncing all around the lineup, but with Michael Conforto back in the leadoff spot, Cabrera hit fifth Sunday and will likely remain there for the most part moving forward, providing him with solid run-producing opportunities even once he cools down.

Blandino was removed early from his game Sunday with Triple-A Louisville, suggesting that he'll be recalled Monday by the Reds prior to Cincinnati's series opener in Philadelphia, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic Cincinnati reports.

Blandino's departure came less than an hour after the Reds announced that everyday third baseman Eugenio Suarez suffered a fractured right thumb when Suarez was struck by a fastball from the Pirates' Jameson Taillon earlier Sunday. Cliff Pennington substituted in at third base in the bottom of the fourth inning and is expected to vie for starts at the hot corner with Blandino and fellow reserve infielder Phil Gosselin for the duration of Suarez's absence, which is expected to last multiple weeks. As a result, Blandino won't necessarily be in store for consistent at-bats in the wake of his callup, but he should at least get the opportunity to stake his claim to a regular role. The 25-year-old slashed .265/.382/.453 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI while splitting time between Louisville and Double-A Pensacola last season.

Rizzo (back) is again not in the lineup Monday against the Pirates.

Rizzo has been out of the lineup since Friday while dealing with back tightness. The issue isn't thought to be a major one, but he'll now have missed four games. The Cubs have an off day Tuesday and it sounds as though Rizzo may be back in the lineup Wednesday against Pittsburgh. Ben Zobrist starts at first base in his place Monday.

Goldschmidt went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Cardinals.

Thanks to strong performances from its pitching staff and more unheralded players in the lineup, Arizona has raced off to a 7-2 start to the season despite getting very little from Goldschmidt, a five-time All-Star. Sunday's hitless showing dropped Goldschmidt's season average to .100, with the first baseman's contact woes fueling his demise. Goldschmidt has struck out in 26.8 percent of his plate appearances this season, nearly five points above his career rate.

Cron went 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk in Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Red Sox.

Although he managed to slug a home run, Cron has struggled so far this season, as he entered Sunday's game with a dismal .167 batting average. Although most of Cron's starts this year have been as designated hitter, he will likely be in line to receive reps at first base with Brad Miller (groin) landing on the disabled list.

Rizzo (back) may remain out of the lineup Monday against the Pirates, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs are being patient with Rizzo, so it's entirely possible that he'll be withheld from the lineup for the fourth consecutive game. The team has Tuesday off, which would give Rizzo an additional day to rest before potentially returning Wednesday. If Rizzo sits out Monday, look for Victor Caratini to start at first base.

Olson went 1-for-3 with an RBI single, a walk and a run in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Angels.

The second-year slugger has picked it up since the calendar flipped to April, despite the fact that he's keeping nowhere near the torrid home-run pace he generated in his eye-popping rookie campaign. Olson has hit safely in five of the last six games, churning out multi-hit tallies in three of those outings. He's also driven in a run in three of the past four contests, but his pair of round trippers remain his only extra-base hits over his first 42 plate appearances of 2018.

Cron will serve as the Rays' designated hitter and bat cleanup Sunday against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's not surprising that the Rays will leverage the platoon advantage and insert the righty-hitting Cron into their lineup with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez starting for Boston, but it appears manager Kevin Cash may be growing comfortable with deploying Cron as an everyday player. The 28-year-old is picking up his fifth consecutive start Sunday, with two turns against right-handed pitching included among that stretch.

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

The Cubs are proceeding cautiously with the star first baseman and will hold Rizzo out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. The team hosts the Pirates on Monday but has a scheduled off-day on Tuesday, so it may hold Rizzo out until Wednesday. Victor Caratini will handle first base duties Sunday while Rizzo remains a day-to-day case.