MLB Player News

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.

Diaz will start in left field and bat eighth Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

After serving as the Indians' primary third baseman in his first stint with the big club earlier this season, Diaz has settled in as the team's left fielder since his promotion Monday. With Michael Brantley (ankle) still day-to-day, Diaz's stay in the lineup may not last much longer, as the club still remains optimistic that Brantley will be able to rejoin the lineup at some point during the Tribe's weekend series with the Twins.

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.

Flores went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's win over the Giants.

He's made five straight starts at third base while Jose Reyes covers for Asdrubal Cabrera (thumb) at shortstop, going 6-for-18, but with Cabrera expected to return to the lineup Wednesday, Flores should slip back into a bench role.

Bell is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

There has been nothing to suggest his absence is due to injury. Perhaps manager Clint Hurdle just felt Bell could use a mental break after back-to-back 0-for-4, two-strikeout games. Overall, Bell's counting stats this season leave something to be desired, but he's slugging .446 and his defense has been better than expected.

Cabrera (thumb/hamstring) was able to pinch hit Monday and thinks he'll be able to return to the lineup Wednesday, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports. "He had a good BP and caught ground balls with absolutely no problem," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He thinks maybe one more day all the pain will be gone completely."

The fact that Collins was willing to use him as a pinch hitter is a strong indication that Cabrera won't require a trip to the DL after all, as it removed the possibility of back-dating the stint. Barring a setback, expect him back at shortstop for Wednesday's series finale against the Giants.

Votto went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and three RBI in Monday's 10-4 loss to the Yankees.

The home run was Votto's 10th on the season and came off Masahiro Tanaka in the seventh inning. Known for being a slow starter, that hasn't been the case for Votto this season. He's now up to a slash line of .286/.399/.625 with 27 runs scored and 29 RBI in 138 plate appearances. Votto's 22:17 BB:K is also incredible, and it's a big reason why he's one of the better fantasy first basemen in the league.

Howard was released from his contract with the Braves on Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Howard mustered just a .184 batting average and struck out 11 times in as many games for Triple-A Gwinnett. Even if Howard still has the power -- and he wasn't showing it this year, as he'd managed just one home run -- it's obvious that his bat is just too slow for him to be a productive major-league player at age 37.

Rizzo (wrist) is playing first base and batting third Monday against the Rockies.

It appears Rizzo isn't feeling any ill effects after getting plunked on the wrist by Aroldis Chapman during Sunday's loss to the Yankees. He wasn't forced to leave the game and X-rays afterwards came back negative, so it isn't too surprising to see him back out there. The 26-year-old is slashing .224/.353/.416 with six homers through 125 at-bats this season.