MLB Player News

Gurriel went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI during Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.

After going 0-for-4 Saturday, Gurriel was back to work for his fantasy owners Sunday. He's sporting an active 15-for-32 stretch at the plate with five runs, three doubles, a home run and five RBI over his past nine games. While he's probably never going to turn heads with his power, Gurriel has the potential to be a solid contributor in the runs, RBI and batting average columns.

Rizzo went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Sunday's loss to Cincinnati. It was his third consecutive game with a homer.

Up to 10 runs, five doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI and three stolen bases with a .296/.412/.535 slash line, Rizzo has kick-started 2017 as expected. He's a set-and-forget option at first base and offers a high fantasy floor because of the strong supporting cast surrounding him in the Chicago lineup.

Joseph is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves.

Joseph has yet to find his groove at the plate, posting just two multi-hit games in his first 16 appearances. He'll be replaced by Brock Stassi on Sunday, but should be back in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup with the Marlins.

Bell is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.

After starting the last six games, Bell will head to the bench Sunday as the Pirates face off against left-hander Jordan Montgomery and the Yankees. Bell had collected at least one hit in each of his past six contests, raising his batting average from .156 to .220 in the process. David Freese is manning first base in Bell's absence Sunday.

Bour is out of Saturday's lineup against the Padres.

He is hitting .175/.273/.316 with two home runs and a 25.8-percent strikeout rate through 57 at-bats. Derek Dietrich will start at first base and hit seventh.

Votto went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs and five RBI in Saturday's loss to the Cubs

Votto launched his sixth homer of the season off Jake Arrieta, but despite a big day at the plate, he wasn't able to lead his team to a victory. Although he's hitting just .239 in April, his fantasy owners will certainly be happy with his homer total, and there's little worry that the lefty will let down fantasy owners by the time the season ends.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a walk, home run, three RBI, and three runs in Saturday's victory over the Reds.

Rizzo's third homer of the season was a three-run shot to give the Cubs a first-inning lead of a game they'd win easily. He's now homered in back-to-back contests, and it's very possible that he might be ready to go on an extended power surge.

Cabrera is batting third and starting at shortstop for Saturday's game against the Nationals, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Cabrera was a late scratch Friday with a hamstring issue, but inserted as a pinch hitter in the ninth. Nonetheless, the Mets can breathe a sigh of relief that the issue isn't anything serious, as they currently manage with a lineup decimated by injuries. Cabrera is 6-for-26 against probable Washington starter Gio Gonzalez.

Howard is expected to make his season debut for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Howard, who agreed to a minor-league deal with the Braves earlier this month, has been prepping for the season in extended spring training. The 37-year-old certainly isn't the dynamic slugger he once was, but has shown he still has pop against right-handers, mashing 24 home runs against them last season. Howard likely serves as organizational depth, but could serve as an interesting call-up for interleague games or as a heavy hitter off the bench.

Gurriel went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Friday's 6-3 win over the Rays. He's scored and driven in a run in each of the last three games.

Gurriel's offense started to pick up even before this recent three-game run. After starting the season 2-for-21 over his first six games, the Cuban has hit .500 (13-for-26) with five extra-base hits over the next eight. Gurriel told Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle that he'd been swinging at some bad pitches but is now working in the zone.