MLB Player News

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.

Votto isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

This marks the second straight game that Votto has been out of the lineup, though there's been no word on an injury. Derek Dietrich draws the start at first base and is batting cleanup with Votto out of the mix.

Bell went 3-for-8 with a double and solo home run during both games of a doubleheader against the Reds on Monday.

With hits in both games, Bell is now on a seven-game hitting streak. He's raised his average to .340, but even more impressively, Bell's slugging .711. That's because he's amassed 18 doubles, 17 home runs and two triples to boot. Bell also has 48 RBI and 39 runs in 197 at-bats, putting himself firmly in the MVP conversation almost one-third of the way through the year.

Rizzo went 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Astros.

He staked the Cubs to an early lead with his first-inning blast off Gerrit Cole, but Cole Hamels couldn't make it hold up. Rizzo has now hit safely in nine straight games, slashing a blistering .486/.561/1.000 with three doubles, five homers, 10 runs and 13 RBI over that stretch.

Votto is not in the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Pirates.

Votto went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in the afternoon contest, but the Reds won't ask his 35-year-old legs to handle two games in one day. Derek Dietrich slides over to first base in his absence, with Jose Peraza starting at second.

Smith got the start at first base and hit second in Sunday's win over the Tigers, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and a run scored.

Playing time has been hard to come by for Smith this season thanks to Pete Alonso's emergence -- Sunday's start was his first since May 16. Despite the erratic workload, the 23-year-old has performed when called upon, slashing .340/.456/.489 in 57 plate appearances with a homer, six RBI and 13 runs. With the Mets reluctant so far to repeat last year's experiment of using him in an outfield corner, though, Smith's path to a more consistent role would require an injury to Alonso, or a trade.

Walker started at first base and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Giants.

Walker was given a one-day break Saturday when recent callup Kevin Cron got the start. Manager Torey Lovullo said he went with Walker on Sunday because he's "still our first baseman," Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. That may be the case, but the fact remains Walker is 8-for-61 (.131) with two RBI over the last 17 games. That's as many RBI as Cron had in his one start Saturday.

Beaty went 2-for-6 with four RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Pirates.

Beaty plated a pair of runs in the fifth inning on a single to right field. He would strike again in the sixth and seventh innings, driving in two more before all was said and done. The 26-year-old is 6-for-25 with five RBI in 10 games this season with the big club.

Beaty will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Pirates, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Beaty will stick in the lineup for a fifth straight game, but his run of steady at-bats probably won't last much longer if he continues to make little impact at the dish. He's reached base just four times in 19 plate appearances this season.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-3 with an RBI single and a run in a win over the Braves on Saturday.

Golschmidt is enjoying a much more productive May than his lackluster April, as he's hitting a rock-solid .284 in the current month. The veteran has reached safely in six straight as well, and he's now compiled an impressive seven multi-hit efforts since the calendar flipped.