MLB Player News

Rizzo is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.

Rizzo has started 17 straight games since returning from a back injury, but he'll head to the bench for Monday's series opener as manager Joe Maddon stacks right-handed bats against southpaw Jarlin Garcia, who has held lefties to a .096 average this season. While the first baseman is off to a slow start to the season, hitting .177/.259/.302 through 23 games, he's picked it up since the calendar turned to May, going 6-for-22 (.273) with three homers in five games. Victor Caratini will start at first base and hit sixth in Rizzo's stead.

Goldschmidt went hitless across four at-bats in the Diamondbacks' 3-1 win over the Astros on Sunday.

The Diamondbacks have gone 6-4 over the past 10 games to maintain the National League's top record, but Goldschmidt hasn't been much of a factor in any of those contests. He's recorded just three hits in 34 at-bats over that span, dropping his average to a career-low .225. Goldschmidt's elevated strikeout rate (31.5 percent) remains the primary culprit behind the depressed average, so until he displays improved contact skills, the first baseman will likely struggle to meet his preseason projections.

Votto went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, four RBI and a run scored Sunday in the loss to the Marlins.

Votto appears to have found his stroke at the dish, slashing .289/.408/.455 after a slow start to the season. He's hit five home runs to go with 19 RBI through 33 games. The 34-year-old will look to stay hot at the plate as the Reds begin a three-game series with the Mets on Monday.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, one RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Brewers.

Bell drove a relatively meaningless pitch from Jorge Lopez over the center field wall, with the Pirates already up 7-0 at the time. However, the shot was much-needed, as it was only Bell's ninth extra-base hit of the season. The result has been just a .346 slugging percentage, and if he hopes to match his .466 slugging percentage from last season, he'll have to start lifting the ball in the air more.

Votto went 2-for-4 with a double in Saturday's 6-0 loss to the Marlins.

Cincinnati only managed four hits on the day, and Votto accounted for the team's only extra-base hit. The 34-year-old has slowed down again after his homer barrage at the end of April, hitting only .217 (5-for-23) over his last seven games, but with doubles in back-to-back contests, he may be getting into another groove.

Hoskins went 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run homer in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Nationals.

It's his fifth homer of the season but first since April 21, ending an 11-game streak without one. Hoskins is now slashing .286/.437/.514 on the season, but his line is also fueled by an unsustainably high BABIP that was at .391 coming into Saturday.

Rizzo went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's loss to the Cardinals.

Rizzo seems to be breaking out of his early-season slump, as he now has hits in four straight games, with three home runs and four RBI during the spurt. He's still hitting just .187 with a .594 OPS, but expect both of those numbers to climb rapidly.

Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 8-7 loss to the Rockies.

He's been the one consistent force in the Mets lineup through the first six weeks of the season, and Cabrera now boasts a .330/.383/.591 slash line with six homers, 20 RBI and 22 runs in 29 games. His current slugging percentage is more than 100 points higher than his previous best, and his .360 BABIP is more than 50 points ahead of his career average, so some regression seems inevitable, but the 32-year-old should remain a fixture in fantasy lineups until he cools down.

Santana went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Nationals.

The homer was his third of the season, while the multi-hit performance snapped a 2-for-24 skid over his prior seven games. Santana has had a brutal start to his tenure with the Phillies, slashing .164/.301/.318, but Friday's effort might be a sign his luck is beginning to turn.

Voit was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Voit was recalled just two days ago, but failed to make an appearance in either game for which he was present. He'll head back to the minors to make room on the active roster for Sam Tuivailala to return from the disabled list. The hefty first baseman is struggling a bit in Memphis this season, producing just a .605 OPS with no homers in 48 plate appearances for the Redbirds.