MLB Player News

Abreu went 2-for-3 with a walk, solo homer and two runs scored Saturday against the A's.

Abreu has been on a tear this month, going 25-for-68 (.368) with four home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs in 17 games. He's hit safely in all but one game in August, while getting on base more this month than any other time during the 2016 campaign. Considering his numbers over the first two years of his career, Abreu hasn't given owners exactly what they'd hoped for this season, but the first baseman is locked in heading down the home stretch of the fantasy season.

Cron (hand) was activated from the disabled list and is in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

As expected, Cron will return Saturday after missing more than a month with a fractured hand. The infielder struggled during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake, but he'll nonetheless slot into the lineup at first base Saturday. Cron will bat sixth in the order against Luis Cessa.

Bell was recalled by the Pirates on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bill Brink reports.

Jung Ho Kang was placed on the DL with a shoulder injury Saturday, so David Freese figures to play primarily at third base in the short term, opening up some at-bats for Bell at first base. The Pirates clearly don't love Bell's defense at first base, as his bat is big league ready and John Jaso has been awful offensively over the last few months. Nonetheless, it would seem they will have to give him a chance there at some point, and Kang's injury opens up an opportunity. In shallower non-keeper leagues, he may not be the best add, as he won't play every day, but in deeper formats he could offer enough with his bat to be useful if he's only starting four or five day per week.

Howard will sit out Saturday's matchup with the Cardinals.

He'll be replaced by Tommy Joseph at first base. It simply appears to be a routine day off for the Howard, who is slashing just .197/.252/.448 on the season.

Votto went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, two runs, and a walk in a 9-2 victory over the Dodgers on Friday.

He started things off in the first inning by smacking his 20th homer of the season, a 408-foot shot to center that plated Billy Hamilton and Ivan De Jesus. He then drove in his fourth run of the day with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning. Votto's amazing resurgence, which has primarily unfolded in the second half, has seen him slash .413/.549/.627 in July and .417/.500/.650 to date in August, raising his season average a whopping 49 points since July 1.

Carter went 2-for-4 with his 28th home run of the season in a 7-6 loss to Seattle on Friday.

The fifth-inning shot to center -- the first of three Milwaukee home runs -- was the longest ever recorded at Safeco Field (465 feet). The powerful first baseman leads the league in strikeouts and holds a pedestrian .221/.315/.483 line.

Cron (hand) is expected to come off the DL on Saturday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Cron had been getting hot at the plate over his last nine games before he broke his hand, as he posted a .378/.429/.838 line with five home runs over that time. However, Cron, who's been out since July 9, had a very poor showing on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake, going just 3-for-20 with five strikeouts over six games.

Cabrera (knee) was activated from the disabled list and is starting at shortstop Friday against the Giants, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Cabrera will return to action Friday after going down with a knee injury July 31. He'll look to get his hitting back on track, as his batting average had fallen to .255 after the All-Star break.

Nash has been suspended 50 games without pay for testing positive for amphetamine, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

A third-round pick in 2009, Nash spent some time in the independent leagues in recent years after flaming out with the Astros. He was putting together a fine season with the White Sox's High-A Winston-Salem affiliate, slashing .255/.415/.559 with 11 homers and a 40:58 BB:K, but Nash has never advanced past the Double-A level and it's possible he never will.

Major League Baseball cleared Howard of any wrongdoing in connection to a December report by Al Jazeera that claimed he received performance-enhancing drugs, Cash Kruth of MLB.com reports.

The Al Jazeera report claimed Howard and other professional athletes used the performance-enhancing substance Delta 2. Howard has filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera because of their defamatory claims.