MLB Player News

Bell went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two runs in a 7-2 victory against the Reds on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old is now on a nine-game hitting streak, after he started the month on a 15-game hitting streak. Bell has gone hitless in just one game during May. For the month, he is batting .398 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI. Bell has as many home runs in May (with two days still remaining) as he did all of last year. Overall, Bell is batting .345 with 18 home runs, 51 RBI and 41 runs in 206 at-bats this season. He's slugging an incredible .718.

Walker is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Walker is just 3-for-37 (.081) with a 31.7 percent strikeout rate over his last 10 appearances, so he'll give way to Kevin Cron at first base as he looks to hit the reset button. If Walker doesn't show signs of turning things around in the near future, he could continue to cede opportunities to the 26-year-old Cron.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

The lefty-hitting rookie will take a seat for the series finale in New York with a tough southpaw (James Paxton) on the bump for the Yankees. Through his first five appearances in the big leagues, Naylor has gone 4-for-20 with two doubles, three RBI and eight strikeouts. With the designated-hitter spot no longer available to the Padres when they resume National League play Friday against the Marlins, it's unclear if Naylor will remain with the big club. He doesn't have a clear path to an everyday role and would offer little appeal as a bench option, given his lack of defensive value.

Manager David Bell said he expects Votto (hamstring) to rejoin the starting lineup Friday against the Nationals, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Votto is out of the lineup for a third straight game due to a tight right hamstring, though it sounds like his absence from Wednesday's series finale against the Pirates is precautionary. With Thursday's off day, Votto will get two days to rest and recover before likely returning to action for Friday's series opener.

Votto (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After Votto sat out the second game of Monday's doubleheader, the Reds revealed that he was contending with a tight right hamstring, which kept him on the bench for Tuesday's 11-6 win. He'll now sit out a third straight contest on account of the injury, paving the way for Derek Dietrich to pick up another start at first base following his three-homer performance a day earlier.

Walker went hitless in four at-bats in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Rockies.

Walker made a third straight start Tuesday after he'd been given a one-game break Saturday, but the breather did nothing to revive his slumbering bat. He hasn't produced a base hit over his last 21 at-bats and is down to .239. Manager Torey Lovullo may give Kevin Cron a bigger share of the playing time if Walker continues to slide.

Cooper went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, three runs and a walk during an 11-3 victory against the Giants on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old is coming around, as he is hitting .303 (10-for-33) with four extra-base hits, including three home runs, in the last eight games. Two of those extra-base hits have come since Monday. But Cooper started in a big hole, going 0-for-14 to begin the season. He also spent time on the injured list during that slump.

Hiura went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Twins.

The rookie took Blake Parker deep in the eighth inning, Hiura's third homer in the last eight games. He's now slashing .261/.306/.457 since his promotion, and while his 1:19 BB:K through 13 contests is worrisome, the 22-year-old is doing some damage when he does make contact.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Phillies.

Goldschmidt took Nick Pivetta deep in the first inning to record his 11th home run of the season. It was both his first homer and extra-base hit since May 12. While he's still hitting a respectable .268 and getting on-base at a strong .359 clip, his current .449 slugging percentage is nearly 80 points lower than his mark in 2018.

Votto isn't starting Tuesday against Pittsburgh due to right hamstring tightness, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Votto felt the issue crop up during Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader. The veteran first baseman doesn't expect the injury to bother him for long, however, and he's optimistic that he'll be available to pinch hit Tuesday evening, per Nightengale.