MLB Player News

Freeman is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a fractured left wrist, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

This is a tough blow for both parties, as Freeman was off to a blistering start to 2017, slashing .341/.461/.748 with a league-leading 14 homers through 37 games (135 at-bats). Barring any setbacks in his recovery, the 27-year-old is hoping to be back in action sometime shortly after the All-Star break. The injury isn't expected to require surgery, which is good news, but it will still keep him sidelined for an extended period of time. It's unclear who will fill for Freeman while he's sidelined, though Nick Markakis could slide over to first base or Rio Ruiz could be recalled from Triple-A.

Freeman (hand) could miss 8-to-10 weeks if a fracture is revealed on his test results, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It's an early educated guess from the beat writer. Freeman's test results won't be revealed until Thursday afternoon, as the examination performed Wednesday was inconclusive. Either way, the Braves and fantasy owners should brace themselves for an extended absence from the stud first baseman.

Bell is slated to bat cleanup for the Pirates on Thursday for the first time this season.

Bell has batted second in the order on 10 occasions this year, and even saw the three-spot once, but the majority of his overall starts have featured the 24-year-old hitting somewhere in the 5-8 range. A recent surge of power has likely led to this decision, as Bell owns three home runs and a 1.511 OPS over his last five games.

Flores went 3-for-5 in Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the Diamondbacks.

He got the start at second base and hit third with Neil Walker getting a rest. Flores is now slashing .389/.405/.556 over the last two weeks, and should continue seeing action all over the infield as a super-utility option for the Mets.

Abreu went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 12-8 loss to the Angels.

Abreu's first-inning, two-run homer gave the White Sox an early lead and was his second long ball of the series. He now has a team-high seven homers, all on the road, and they've all come in his last 17 games.

Freeman will head for more tests Thursday after initial X-rays on his hand were inconclusive, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Freeman left Wednesday's game with the Braves' trainer after taking a pitch off his wrist in the fifth inning. More will be known about his status after Thursday's test results are released.

Freeman was prematurely lifted from Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays after being hit on the left hand by a pitch, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan reports.

Freeman left with the Braves' trainer shortly after taking the pitch off his hand. Given he immediately looked over to the dugout after being hit, it's possible the issue could be more than just a bruise, though more should be known following the game.

Calhoun is not in the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox.

Calhoun has collected just three hits over the last eight games and struck out 13 times in 30 at-bats over that span, so he'll head to the bench to clear his head Wednesday. Cameron Maybin will slide over to right field for the game, allowing Ben Revere to start in left field.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Blue Jays.

It's his second homer in as many days, third in the last six games and 14th of the campaign, as Freeman continues to wreck opposing pitchers. While his .343/.457/.754 slash line seems unsustainable, it does come with a career-best 16.0 percent walk rate and 19.1 percent strikeout rate, and his .360 BABIP is actually 15 points lower than last year's. Freeman may well be emerging as one of the game's elite hitters in his age-27 season.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

Even after the good showing Tuesday, Rizzo is still slashing just .221/.358/.407. Last season, that line was .292/.385/.544. His BABIP is down nearly 100 points (.219 this season, .312 in 2016), but his strikeout and walk rates remain pretty similar. That suggests Rizzo has been getting a bit unlucky, so expect his numbers to climb as his BABIP normalizes a bit.