MLB Player News

Walker was sent down to Triple-A Reno on Monday.

Walker will return to the minors after going 2-for-5 during his first big-league start Sunday. The 27-year-old will likely be back with Arizona later this summer, but was cast off the 25-man roster in order to make room for A.J. Pollock (thumb), who was activated from the 10-day DL in a corresponding move.

Bell is not in the lineup against the Dodgers on Monday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Bell will receive a day off following four straight starts, during which he went 5-for-15 with two RBI and one extra-base hit. In his place, David Freese will pick up a start at first base. Look for Bell to rejoin the starting nine Tuesday.

Walker started in left field and went 2-for-5 with a run scored Sunday in the Diamondbacks' 9-6 loss to the Giants.

Walker picked up just his 11th career start in his 44th game in the big leagues, with the Diamondbacks and Orioles having previously limited him largely to pinch-hitting duties during cups of coffee over the last four-plus seasons. Though he's best suited to play first base, Walker seems likely to pick up any future starts in the corner outfield so long as Paul Goldschmidt remains healthy. The 27-year-old boasts ample power -- as evidenced by the 479-foot tater he hit off Clayton Kershaw back on May 1 -- but his high-strikeout tendencies and lack of defensive prowess in the outfield figure to limit his opportunities while he's up with the big club.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run home run Sunday against the Giants.

Goldschmidt took Pierce Johnson deep in the seventh inning to record his 18th home run of the season. He's in the midst of a small slump across his last 10 games -- he's gone 10-for-39 -- but has remained productive, recording two home runs, six runs scored and five RBI. After much consternation due to his early-season struggles at the dish, Goldschmidt is returning to his baselines in slugging percentage and OPS thanks to a scorching June at the plate.

Votto went 2-for-3 with a walk, one RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 8-2 victory over Milwaukee.

Votto gave the Reds an early lead after driving in Tucker Barnhart on an RBI double in the first inning. Votto went 4-for-14 with three walks, a double and one RBI during Cincinnati's four-game series with the Brewers. He's now batting .300 with eight homers and 43 RBI through 83 games this season.

Freeman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 6-5 win over St. Louis.

The 6-foot-5 first baseman is having yet another strong season, swatting 16 home runs with 56 RBI and a terrific .315/.407/.546 slash line. Freeman has gradually increased his monthly home run total this season, finishing June with six despite not hitting once since June 15. He's already off to a strong start here in July and should continue terrorizing opposing pitchers all summer long.

Cabrera went 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and a walk in a 5-2 win over Miami on Sunday.

Cabrera took Marlins starter Dan Straily deep for a solo blast in the third inning to extend his team's lead to 2-0. The 32-year-old infielder has now matched last season's home run total in over 160 fewer at-bats, and he has a shot at surpassing his career high of 25 set back in 2011. Cabrera is slashing .280/.323/.479 on the year.

Santana is out of the lineup Sunday against the Nationals.

Santana will get just his second day off of the season, as he hasn't been held out of the starting lineup since all the way back on April 18. Though he was hitless Saturday, Santana owns an .853 OPS in the month of June. He'll give way to Rhys Hoskins at first base for the series finale.

Smith, who remains out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins, is expected back Tuesday or Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith hasn't seen the starting lineup since Tuesday, and Mets fans were first given an explanation for his absence Saturday. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Smith required an injection in his wrist last week, and a subsequent MRI revealed no unexpected damage. The team has a day off Monday but expects Smith to be back in action prior to the upcoming two-game set in Toronto. The 23-year-old owns a .670 OPS since his early June promotion.

Smith's absence from the last two starting lineups was due to a sore right wrist, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith's injury doesn't appear to be serious, though it's unclear if he'd deserve a spot in the starting lineup when healthy. Through 17 games, he's hitting just .222/.255/.400, with miserable strikeout (36.2 percent) and walk (2.1 percent) rates. Still, the struggling Mets have little reason not to give him the opportunity to prove whether or not he's a part of their core moving forward, so expect him in the lineup on a fairly frequent basis.