MLB Player News

Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Marlins.

Smith has gone 4-for-12 with two extra-base hits and two RBI over four games since returning to the majors. He's getting a decent share of playing time at first base to close out the campaign. For the year, he's batting .167 with a .504 OPS, two homers, eight RBI, seven runs scored, two doubles and two stolen bases over 101 plate appearances in the majors.

Vargas is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

After starting in five consecutive contests from Sept. 6 through last Friday, Vargas has now been excluded from the lineup for five straight games. Arizona will likely continue to prioritize Tim Tawa at first base ahead of Vargas, who is slashing a middling .242/.281/.354 since the All-Star break. Tawa is actually in center field Wednesday with Pavin Smith at first.

Rumfield is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Padres.

Rumfield is getting a breather after starting each of the last four contests. Troy Johnston is handling first base and will bat sixth for the Rockies.

The Dodgers designated Ward for assignment Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ward has slugged 108 home runs at the Triple-A level, but his opportunities with the Dodgers have been few and far between, and he hasn't been on the big-league roster since June. The 28-year-old could draw interest via waivers or trade.

Horwitz is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Brewers.

It's the first time since April that a healthy Horwitz did not start a contest against a right-hander. Ryan O'Hearn will play first base as the Pirates take on Brewers righty Logan Henderson.

Freeman went 3-for-5 in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Reds.

It was the star first baseman's first multi-hit performance since Sept. 2, as he's been playing through a nagging knee injury. Freeman's batting just .171 (6-for-35) on the month with one homer and three RBI in 11 contests, but it's not clear if he'll be afforded some time off ahead of the playoffs -- the Dodgers are on the verge of clinching the NL West, but they still need to hold off Atlanta to ensure a first-round bye.

Burleson went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two strikeouts during Tuesday's 10-3 loss to the Giants.

Burleson clubbed a solo shot in the first inning against Blade Tidwell for his 23rd blast and league-leading 111th RBI of the campaign. Over his last seven games, the 27-year-old is slashing .350/.519/.600 with one homer and seven RBI in 27 plate appearances. Burleson was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning by Nolan Gorman.

Tawa is not in the lineup Tuesday versus the Marlins, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Tawa went 0-for-3 while he walked and came around to score in the series opener against the Marlins on Monday. He'll rest Tuesday as Pavin Smith starts at first base and bats eighth.

Freeman (knee) is starting at first base and batting second Tuesday against the Reds, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

The first baseman has been playing through a lingering knee issue that has forced him to sit out for three of the Dodgers' past five games, but he's good to go for Tuesday's contest in Cincinnati. It's likely not a coincidence that Freeman has struggled at the plate in September, going 3-for-30 with five walks, a homer, a steal and 10 strikeouts. The 37-year-old may continue to get some extra rest during these final two weeks of the regular season.

Smith served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 8-7 win over the Marlins.

Smith doubled and scored on a double steal in the bottom of the third inning, when the Diamondbacks erased Miami's early 3-0 lead. This was the second start in three games for the left-handed hitter, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Reno on Saturday. The Diamondbacks are well aware of their lackluster numbers against right-handed pitching, and Smith could help give those metrics a boost as the primary DH.