MLB Player News

Reds first baseman Joey Votto heads into Monday's game against the Twins having gone hitless in his last three games (0 for 11). 

He is in the lineup to face Twins starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey, who Votto has a favorable history against. Votto is batting .357 (5 for 14) with one double, three home runs, five RBI, one walk and three strikeouts in his career against the right-hander.

Despite his recent three-game hitless streak, Votto has done well in June. He has a .286/.414/.527/.942 slash line in 25 games this month. He also has one triple, five doubles, five home runs, 12 RBI, 16 runs, 20 walks and 21 strikeouts in that span.

For many players in baseball, what Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is experiencing lately would be considered a typical stretch. For Rizzo, it's a slump.

Rizzo has been mashing for so long that his 4-for-17 run over the last five games comes as a surprise. He is 1-for-13 aside from a three-hit effort Thursday and has not homered since June 21.

That might not seem like a drought, but it is for Rizzo considering he clobbered seven in May and six over the first three weeks of June.

His .413 on-base percentage is at its lowest point since the opener.

Mets manager Terry Collins said last week that it was a possibility shortstop Wilmer Flores would move to second base upon Daniel Murphy's return from the disabled list.

Murphy is getting closer to a return, but Collins apparently couldn't wait any longer to get a glimpse of Flores at second base, as the 23-year-old infielder made his first start this season at second base Sunday against the Reds.

"This kid played fine at shortstop," Collins said, per NJ.com. "Made a couple of errors that cost us a couple of runs at times. But I looked through the league and he caught the baseball. He can play second base. He showed us that last September. And look in September, we played pretty good with Wilmer Flores playing second, with Dan at third and Ruben (Tejada) at shortstop.

"With Dan coming back, we certainly don't know what the time frame is with David (Wright) and I think this is going to be our best infield that we're going to run out there on a nightly basis."

Orioles first baseman Chris Parmelee continued his recent hot streak at the plate during Sunday's win over the Indians.

Parmelee went 1 for 4 with two RBI in the game.

Over his last five games, Parmelee is hitting .333 with seven hits, four doubles and two RBI.

Kole Calhoun had a big day for the Angels on Sunday, driving in what appeared to be the game-winning run earlier in the contest and then eventually scoring the winning run in extra innings. 

Calhoun's eighth-inning single to shallow right gave Los Angeles a 2-1 advantage over the Mariners, but when the game went to extra innings, Calhoun found himself on the basepaths after a single, moving up to third after an intentional walk and a double play. He then scored when Mariners reliever Tom Wilhelmsen uncorked a wild pitch. 

Calhoun has slumped in June, hitting .221 and the run he scored was only the seventh of the month. 

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera continued his recent offensive success in Sunday's loss to the Red Sox.

Cabrera went 3 for 5 with a double and two RBI.

Over his last three games, Cabrera is hitting .615 with eight hits, two doubles, a triple and two RBI.

Phillies outfielder Ben Revere and first baseman Ryan Howard are not in the lineup of the second game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Nationals. 

In Game 1, Revere went 0 for 4 and Howard went 0 for 3 with a walk. Howard's performance saw him strike out three times. Playing first base for the Phillies in Game 2 will be Darin Ruf and manning center field will be Odubel Herrera. 

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun gave his team an early lead on Saturday, as he launched a two-run home run in the very first inning. The home run was Calhoun's seventh of the season, and his first in 13 games. The Angels would go on to beat the Mariners 4-2.

"That's a big hit at the time, obviously," manager Mike Scioscia said, per MLB.com. "I think it did let [Angels starter Garrett Richards] not worry about one pitch or one mistake that could hurt him early. Not many leads we've had early, so it was good to get out in front, and Garrett just pounded the zone with good stuff and made them work."

It was the only hit of the day for Calhoun, who is batting an even .200 over his last 10 games.

Astros first baseman Chris Carter had a big game on Saturday. Carter went 2 for 4 with a double and a solo home run, but the Astros would suffer a 9-6 loss to the Yankees.

Carter hit an RBI double in the second inning, and then added a solo shot in the fourth. The home run was his 13th of the year, 

Over his last 10 games following Saturday's performance Carter is batting a lowly .195, but has two home runs in that span.

The Marlins will start Jeff Baker at first base in Saturday's game, in place of Justin Bour.

Bour has started 30 games at first this season, but Baker has gotten the call three times in the last four games. 

Baker will be starting his twelfth game at first base this year. He'll bat fifth in the lineup.