MLB Player News

O'Hearn isn't starting Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay.

With the lefty Blake Snell slated to toe the rubber for the Rays, O'Hearn will take a seat. He's yet to record a hit this season in 19 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Hunter Dozier moves to first base in O'Hearn's stead, making room for Kelvin Gutierrez at the hot corner.

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.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run in a win over the Royals on Monday, his first major-league game.

Lowe enjoyed a productive first brush with big-league arms, lacing an eighth-inning double and subsequently coming home on a Kevin Kiermaier RBI single. The 23-year-old rookie is primed for a robust role now that he's gotten the call from Triple-A Durham, and the .300/.438/.543 line he'd churned out with the Bulls prior to his promotion offers a glimpse at his expansive upside.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles in a win over the Royals on Monday.

Diaz's late-April surge continued in fine fashion Monday, with the slugging infielder posting his fifth two-hit game over the last 11. Diaz has now reached safely in 13 consecutive games overall, and he's driven in at least one run in six straight contests.

Lowe will bat fifth and be the designated hitter Monday against the Royals, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe had his contract selected earlier in the day and is expected to find himself in the lineup on a regular basis. Both Lowe and fellow first baseman Ji-Man Choi are left-handed, but there's room for both of them with the designated hitter spot. Yandy Diaz and Avisail Garcia have spent time at both of those positions, but the Rays can fit them in as well, with Diaz starting at third base and Garcia in right field.

Cron will be on the bench Monday against Houston.

Cron is hitting .270 with three homers in his last 10 games. Marwin Gonzalez slides to first base in his absence, with Ehire Adrianza starting at third.

The Rays confirmed Monday that Lowe's contract has been selected from Triple-A Durham ahead of Tampa Bay's series opener against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 23-year-old is expected to step in immediately as the Rays' everyday first baseman, though it's possible the team limits his exposure to left-handed pitching initially. In any case, Lowe's combination of power and on-base skills makes him an intriguing pickup in deeper mixed leagues at the very least, and potentially worth a look in formats shallower than that. The Rays optioned Christian Arroyo to Triple-A Durham to clear a spot for Lowe on the active roster, but Tampa Bay has yet to announce a corresponding transaction to open up a 40-man spot for the prospect.

The Rays plan to promote Lowe from Triple-A Durham prior to Monday's game against the Royals, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Though the Rays have performed well offensively even while contending with major injuries to Austin Meadows (thumb) and Joey Wendle (wrist), the team was apparently motivated to add another power bat into the mix in Lowe, especially with a number of matchups with right-handed starting pitchers on tap. The 23-year-old Lowe was certainly deserving of the callup from a performance standpoint, as he slashed an impressive .300/.438/.543 at Durham while walking nearly as often (19.5 percent) as he struck out (21.3 percent). His power upside and improved on-base skills make him worthy of immediate attention in deeper mixed leagues, though he may need to hold his own right away with the Rays to ensure he has an everyday role for the balance of the season. Brandon Lowe, Ji-Man Choi and Yandy Diaz all loom as options at first base once the Rays reclaim some health.

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.

Santana went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Sunday's 4-1 loss to Houston.

Santana took Houston starter Wade Miley deep in the fourth inning to open the game's scoring, but it proved to be Cleveland's lone run of the contest. He's just 2-for-27 over the last seven games but still owns a .300 average in 90 at-bats on the year.