MLB Player News

Votto went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Pirates.

Votto slammed a three-run homer in the second inning off Wil Crowe, extending the early lead to seven runs. He has reached base safely in 27 of his last 28 games. During that stretch, he is batting .320 with 12 home runs and 30 RBI. On the season, the 37-year-old is slashing .273/.367/.556 with 22 long balls, 64 RBI and 42 runs in 330 plate appearances.

Bell went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's loss to Philadelphia.

Bell hammered an Aaron Nola offering over the center-field wall to give the Nationals a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning. It was the 19th homer of the year for Bell, who also produced a pair of singles, and his seventh long ball since the All-Star break. The 28-year-old Bell is slashing .251/.310/.480 with 60 RBI in 348 plate appearances this season.

Hoskins went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI in Thursday's win over the Nationals.

Hoskins gave the Phillies a 7-5 lead with a two-run double off of Washington closer Kyle Finnegan in the ninth inning, capping off his fourth multi-hit performance in his last six games. The 28-year-old Hoskins boasts a 1.164 OPS over his last 15 contests, upping his season slash line to .244/.332/.509 with 24 homers and 68 RBI in 434 plate appearances.

Gurriel (neck) is out of the lineup Thursday against the Twins, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gurriel was scratched from Tuesday's starting nine with neck stiffness and has yet to rejoin the lineup. The 37-year-old should continue to be considered day-to-day until the team updates his status. Martin Maldonado will receive a rare start at first base Thursday while Jason Castro works behind the plate.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox.

As per usual, the lefty-hitting O'Hearn will retreat to the bench with a southpaw (Dallas Keuchel) on the mound for the opposition. Emmanuel Rivera will pick up a spot start in O'Hearn's stead, occupying third base while Hunter Dozier moves to right field.

Gittens (ankle) was spotted performing fielding drills at first base Thursday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The workout marks the first known baseball activity Gittens has performed on the field since he was placed on the 10-day injured list July 25 with a sprained left ankle. Gittens is without a clear timeline for a return, but once activated, he'll most likely be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs last week to take over as their everyday first baseman, while the player Gittens had been replacing, Luke Voit (knee), is on the track to beat him back from the IL.

Calhoun is on the bench for Thursday's game against the Giants.

Sporting a .190 average and .547 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, Calhoun takes a seat with southpaw Alex Wood starting for the Giants. Pavin Smith is playing right field and batting fifth.

Cabrera is not starting Thursday's game against the Giants.

Cabrera has been a steady contributor of late, hitting .313 with five extra-base hits, nine RBI and seven walks in his last 10 games. Drew Ellis plays third base and bats sixth Thursday.

Cron isn't starting Thursday's game against the Cubs, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

Cron was productive across the first two games of the series against the Cubs, as he went 4-for-8 with three RBI, a run and a walk. He'll get a breather for the series finale while Connor Joe starts at first base and bats fifth.

Solano went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a two-RBI single in Thursday's 7-1 win over Arizona.

The 33-year-old started the scoring in the fourth inning with his second homer in the last five games. He knocked in another pair of runs with his sixth-inning single. Solano's playing time could be in decline soon, but he's doing everything possible to make that a tough decision for manager Gabe Kapler. In his last seven games, Solano is 12-for-28 (.429) with two homers, three doubles, six RBI and four runs scored. Tommy La Stella, who returned from the injured list Wednesday, will likely compete with Solano for playing time at second base going forward, which could see the latter drop into a short-side platoon role.