MLB Player News

Calhoun was moved down to fifth in the batting order Friday, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run in a win over the Tigers.

Manager Mike Scioscia wanted to shake up his lineup in order to spark a slumping offense, and it worked Friday. Moving out of a favorable spot in front of Mike Trout will result in tougher at-bats for Calhoun, but it could also lead to increased RBI opportunities. A change in the lineup could also help spark the veteran's slumping bat. He is slashing just .236/.308/.354 through 37 games.

Bell went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer in Friday's 11-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

The homer was his sixth of the season and snapped an 0-for-14 skid for the young first baseman. Bell's .236/.323/.445 slash line isn't terribly impressive, but he's supplying more power than expected and his .256 BABIP should rise as the weather warms up.

Bour went 3-for-4 with a solo homer Friday against the Braves.

Bour smacked his sixth bomb of the year off Mike Foltynewicz to get the Marlins on the board in a game they'd go on to lose. Although his batting average is a bit lower than his career numbers, Bour's providing the pop that fantasy owners expected when selecting him on draft day.

Cabrera (thumb) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Brewers.

While Cabrera has made a few pinch-hit appearances in recent days, Friday's start marks his first in nearly a week. The 31-year-old jammed his thumb early during the team's last homestand but an MRI showed no structural damage. He's off to a 6-for-17 start to May.

Naylor (face) was activated from the minor-league disabled list Friday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Naylor was sidelined since the end of April with some facial fractures incurred from an errant pickoff throw, but it seems like the Padres are confident that he's back to 100 percent. He'll resume his normal role in High-A Lake Elsinore's lineup moving forward as he looks to build off the strong .306 batting average he posted prior to the injury.

Gurriel is not in the starting lineup against the Yankees on Friday.

Gurriel is just 3-for-23 over the past week, so manager A.J. Hinch will give him a day to get his mind right. Utility player Marwin Gonzalez will man first base in his absence.

Carter is not in the Yankees' starting lineup Friday against the Astros.

Jacoby Ellsbury gets the start at DH and Aaron Hicks slots into center field, relegating Carter to the bench. The power-hitting righty is just 4-for-20 over his last eight games and has not hit a home run since April 21 after blasting 41 of them last season.

Joseph is batting cleanup for Friday's contest with the Nationals, Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Joseph has been on an absolute tear as of late, posting a 1.318 OPS over the past seven games thanks to two homers and three doubles in that span. Due to this, manager Pete Mackanin will reward him by moving him up from his normal spot in the six-hole, which could help Joseph to drive in more runs if he keeps up his torrid run at the plate.

Votto went 1-for-3 with two RBI from a single and a groundout in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Giants.

The slugging first baseman extended his hitting streak to five games and has also reached base safely in 15 straight contests overall. He's racked up a .407 average and 14 RBI over the first 10 games of May as well, propelling his team-leading total in the latter category to 33, which also ranks second in the majors. Votto has impressively lowered his strikeout rate from 17.7 percent to 11.6 percent this season, with his contact rate seeing a corresponding boost to a career-best 85 percent. Moreover, he's accomplished his aforementioned excellent production with a .267 BABIP that is over 100 points lower than the .373 figure he'd generated the prior two seasons.

Cron (foot) went 2-for-4 in a rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, his first action since taking a pitch to the wrist Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Cron played all nine innings at first base, a firm indication he's fit to resume everyday baseball activities. The 27-year-old says his bruised foot has completely healed, but the Angels are unsure of how many at-bats they want him to get in the minors. Luis Valbuena and Jefry Marte have been filling in as a platoon at first base, so there's no pressing need to have Cron back in the lineup right away.