MLB Player News

Santana (back) is starting at first base Friday against the Cardinals, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Santana was forced to miss three games after exiting Sunday's game against Seattle with back tightness, but the 37-year-old first baseman will return to action Friday. Santana has been struggling at the plate as of late, slashing .176/.288/.294 over the past three weeks.

Tellez is out of the lineup Friday against the Reds.

Darin Ruf will cover first base and bat leadoff with left-hander Brandon Williamson getting the start for Cincinnati. William Contreras is taking a DH day while Victor Caratini catches.

Cooper isn't starting Friday against Oakland, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Friday will mark the third consecutive game Cooper has missed as a result of his cold stretch at the plate. Meanwhile, Yuli Gurriel will make his fifth consecutive start at first base, indicating that the starting job may be his for now.

Votto (shoulder/biceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Votto started his initial rehab assignment in early April, but it quickly became obvious his surgically repaired left shoulder and bicep weren't ready. The veteran first baseman has been ramping up his workouts in recent weeks and now feels ready to give it another shot. How many games he might need isn't yet clear, but a lengthy rehab stint seems probable. Once he's deemed ready, Votto figures to be used both at first base and designated hitter.

Hall (thumb) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Hall played two games for Single-A Clearwater, going 3-for-8 with a double and a walk. He's eligible to return from the 60-day injured list June 5, but it's possible the Phillies keep him in Triple-A past that date to ensure he completely shakes off any rust. Hall has been sidelined with a torn ligament in his right thumb since April 5, but he figures to immediately slot back into the starting lineup at first base when he returns with Alec Bohm (hamstring) now sidelined as well.

Steer isn't in the Reds' lineup for Friday's game against Milwaukee.

Steer has collected at least one base hit in 14 of his last 16 games and is slashing .388/.425/.642 in that span. He'll get a breather in Friday's series opener, allowing Kevin Newman to step in as Cincinnati's first baseman and leadoff hitter.

Cronenworth went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a steal in Thursday's victory over the Marlins.

Cronenworth is now 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts, but he's continued to struggle at the plate. The 29-year-old first baseman is 5-for-31 with 12 strikeouts over his last eight games. Cronenworth's strikeout rate is up to 24.2 percent, which would be the highest mark of his four-year career. He's slashing .206/.325/.371 with six homers, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored through 231 plate appearances.

Dixon went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 10-1 victory over Miami.

Dixon has swung the bat well of late, going 7-for-19 (.368) with a 1.066 OPS over his last seven games. While the 31-year-old isn't likely to play enough to have value in shallower fantasy formats, he's been solid off the bench for the Padres, slashing .243/.310/.378 with a home run and three RBI through 42 plate appearances.

The Phillies selected Ellis' contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ellis had a 1.009 OPS with eight home runs in 21 games this season between Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading. The 27-year-old can play all over the infield but will primarily serve as the Phillies' first baseman versus left-handed pitching while Alec Bohm (hamstring) is on the shelf.

The Phillies placed Bohm on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a strained left hamstring, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Bohm first hurt his hamstring this past weekend, tried to return and then aggravated the issue. Phillies manager Rob Thomson has termed the strain as "very mild," so there's a chance the 26-year-old will be ready for activation when first eligible June 10. Edmundo Sosa and Josh Harrison will get a lot of run at third base in the meantime, with Kody Clemens and Drew Ellis playing first base -- at least until Darick Hall (thumb) returns.