MLB Player News

Votto went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, two runs, and a walk in a 9-2 victory over the Dodgers on Friday.

He started things off in the first inning by smacking his 20th homer of the season, a 408-foot shot to center that plated Billy Hamilton and Ivan De Jesus. He then drove in his fourth run of the day with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning. Votto's amazing resurgence, which has primarily unfolded in the second half, has seen him slash .413/.549/.627 in July and .417/.500/.650 to date in August, raising his season average a whopping 49 points since July 1.

Carter went 2-for-4 with his 28th home run of the season in a 7-6 loss to Seattle on Friday.

The fifth-inning shot to center -- the first of three Milwaukee home runs -- was the longest ever recorded at Safeco Field (465 feet). The powerful first baseman leads the league in strikeouts and holds a pedestrian .221/.315/.483 line.

Cron (hand) is expected to come off the DL on Saturday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Cron had been getting hot at the plate over his last nine games before he broke his hand, as he posted a .378/.429/.838 line with five home runs over that time. However, Cron, who's been out since July 9, had a very poor showing on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake, going just 3-for-20 with five strikeouts over six games.

Cabrera (knee) was activated from the disabled list and is starting at shortstop Friday against the Giants, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Cabrera will return to action Friday after going down with a knee injury July 31. He'll look to get his hitting back on track, as his batting average had fallen to .255 after the All-Star break.

Nash has been suspended 50 games without pay for testing positive for amphetamine, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

A third-round pick in 2009, Nash spent some time in the independent leagues in recent years after flaming out with the Astros. He was putting together a fine season with the White Sox's High-A Winston-Salem affiliate, slashing .255/.415/.559 with 11 homers and a 40:58 BB:K, but Nash has never advanced past the Double-A level and it's possible he never will.

Major League Baseball cleared Howard of any wrongdoing in connection to a December report by Al Jazeera that claimed he received performance-enhancing drugs, Cash Kruth of MLB.com reports.

The Al Jazeera report claimed Howard and other professional athletes used the performance-enhancing substance Delta 2. Howard has filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera because of their defamatory claims.

Parmelee was placed on the 7-day DL on Thursday after experiencing back spasms, the Scranton Times-Tribune reports.

Parmelee had recently been activated off the DL after missing two months with a hamstring issue, but he was forced to leave Wednesday's contest with discomfort in his back and it will now sideline him for at least a week. The first baseman had been hitting just .200 since being sent to the Triple-A club, and with the Yankees seeming committed to giving younger players chances, Parmelee may not have returned to the big leagues this year even if healthy.

Cabrera (knee) is expected to be activated from the 15-day DL on Friday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

The Mets plan on activating both Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedis on Friday. It is currently unclear who will be optioned to make room for both players. Cabrera last played July 31 against the Rockies. He's slashing just .255/.308/.410 on the season.

Cabrera (knee) will not be activated Thursday but he will rejoin the team for its series in San Francisco, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The expectation as of Wednesday was that Cabrera would be activated for the start of the Mets series in the Bay Area, but the club will wait at least one extra day to make the roster move. Given that Cabrera is traveling Thursday and will meet up with the team, it's a possibility that the veteran infielder could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday.

Joseph isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Joseph has seen a decrease in playing time recently due to his declining production and the slight resurgence of Ryan Howard. In his place Thursday, Howard will start at first base and bat cleanup for the Phillies.