MLB Player News

Votto will start at first base and hit second Tuesday against the Mets.

After serving as the Reds' leadoff man for 10 starts in a row, Votto has moved to the two hole for the first two games of the series in New York. Considering that Jose Peraza set the table versus a right-handed pitcher (Zach Wheeler) on Monday and will do so again Tuesday against a southpaw (Jason Vargas), manager David Bell may have decided to at least temporarily pull the plug on using Votto as the club's leadoff hitter. The one-spot change in the order shouldn't have a dramatic impact on the fantasy value of Votto, whose stock has been more affected by his downturn in power (career-worst .400 slugging percentage through 28 games) than his lineup placement.

Cooper (calf) appears to be on target to rejoin the Marlins on Tuesday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

"When he shows he is healthy and able to play two, three, four days in a row, then we have to make a decision," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Sunday. The 28-year-old has already done just that, going 6-for-9 with two doubles and a homer while suiting up for all three of High-A Jupiter's games this weekend, and Tuesday is the first day he'll be eligible to come off the injured list. Given that Neil Walker is also dealing with a sore hamstring, expect the Marlins to activate Cooper right away.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and two walks in Sunday's win over the Rockies.

Freeman clubbed a two-run blast to cap off a three-run first inning, notching his fifth homer of the campaign. The first three hitters in Atlanta's order did the majority of the damage in the series finale, as Ozzie Albies, Josh Donaldson and Freeman accounted for seven of the team's eight runs.

Hoskins went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk in Sunday's win over the Marlins.

Hoskins opened the ballgame with a bang, doubling home a run in the first inning. The 26-year-old slugger has registered a base knock in four of his past five contests heading into Tuesday's series opener against Detroit.

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 12-9 win over the Marlins.

Hoskins provided the Phillies with a pair of much-needed insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Marlins had scored eight unanswered runs. The 26-year-old is slashing .276/.408/.592 with eight home runs and 22 RBI over his first 26 games of the season.

Alonso went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Brewers.

The rookie continues to tear the cover off the ball. Alonso is slashing .309/.404/.681 with nine homers and 24 RBI through his first 26 games, and while at some point he'll have to make some adjustments, big-league pitchers haven't been able to find any holes in his swing.

Rizzo went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in a 9-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

It's been a slow start to the season for Rizzo, as he's still batting just .220 even after the three-hit day, but this is what the 29-year-old is capable of in the middle of a strong Cubs lineup. Rizzo now has five home runs and 16 RBI this year, and his long track record suggests that the batting average should continue to rise.

Flores went 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and one run scored in Friday's 8-3 win over the Cubs.

Flores contributed early offense with a weak grounder that eluded Ben Zobrist and delivered two runs in Arizona's three-run first inning. This was his first multi-RBI game of the season. Flores' sluggish start -- he's hitting just .222 with five RBI over 23 games -- makes him an ideal candidate to sit out games when manager Torey Lovullo wants to get the Diamondbacks' hot hitters in the lineup.

Cooper (calf) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Jupiter on Friday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Cooper has been out of action since late March. It's not yet clear how long his rehab assignment is expected to last.

Walker went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Walker finished up a 10-game road trip as stylishly as the Diamondbacks did. Arizona went 8-2 and swept the Pirates and Braves, while Walker batted .447 (17-for-38) with eight extra-base hits, including three home runs, and eight RBI. Off the radar when the year started, Walker ranks 10th with a 180 wRC+ through 24 games.