MLB Player News

Reds first baseman Joey Votto uncorked his sixth home run of the season during Tuesday night's 16-10 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Votto took Tyler Thornburg deep in the top of the sixth inning for a solo home run. He added a single and reached base three times. He finished 2 for 5 with a walk, three runs scored, a home run and an RBI. He is hitting .377/.492/.792 on the year.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning to lead Philadelphia to a win over Miami.

Howard went 2 for 3 with a walk. He lifted his average to .208 and recorded his first home run and fourth RBI. 

''It feels good,'' Howard said. ''That's baseball. Sometimes the wind's blowing in, sometimes the wind's blowing out. You keep swinging, and they'll go. They'll do what they're supposed to do.''

After batting third every game this season, slumping Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is absent from the Tuesday lineup against visiting Boston.

Cabrera opened the year with eight hits in 25 at-bats, but is 2 for 27 over the last seven games and has no extra-base hits since April 11.

Tim Beckham is starting at short instead.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 2 for 4 at the plate Monday in Cincinnati's 6-1 win over the Brewers.

Votto struggled in his first two at-bats but was able to reach base in the sixth with a single. He was called out at home when trying to score on a grounder in the infield with the bases loaded. Votto then crushed the first pitch he saw from Wily Peralta over the left center field wall for a two-run blast, scoring Billy Hamilton.

It was Votto's fifth home run and 12th RBI of the year, leading the team in all offensive categories.

With the recent struggles of Chris Carter, the Astros will start Marwin Gonzalez at first base and bat him seventh on Monday in Seattle. 

This is the third start of the year for Gonzalez, second at first base. 

In 10 at-bats this season, Gonzalez is 3 for 10 with a homer and a double.

Carter has begun the year 3 for 40 (.075 avg.) with no extra-base hits and has struck out 17 times.

"He's frustrated to the extent no one likes to get outs, but we're still at the very early stages, and he's done this before and come out of it," manager A.J. Hinch said, per MLB.com. "We believe he's going to be fine."

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera went just 2 for 27 with one walk and one RBI in seven games over the second week of the season.

Cabrera has been locked into the No. 3 spot in the batting order, but he'll likely need to start picking things up with the bat in order to stay in such a potentially productive position. He has hit just .192/.222/.250 in 52 at-bats.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto has quickly put a rocky 2014 season in the rearview mirror, hitting .364/.481/.727 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 44 at-bats.

Votto has built his hot start on the back of his multihit performances, as the first baseman has picked up multiple hits in seven of his first 12 games, including twice in the team's recent three-game series against the Cardinals. Unfortnately, the Reds were swept by their division rivals this weekend and have lost seven of their last eight games. Cincinnati will look to turn things around in a four-game series in Milwaukee that starts Monday.

Astros first baseman Chris Carter has struggled heavily during the first two weeks of the season, going 3 for 40 with no extra-base hits and striking out 17 times.

Carter has drawn four walks and scored one run but has managed just a .075/.159/.075 line. The righty slugger, who is prone to hitless stretches, could be on the verge of turning things around offensively, as the Astros are scheduled to face three lefty starters in a four-game span starting Wednesday. He has hit much better against lefties in 2014, posting a .244/.350/.519 line with 10 home runs in 135 at-bats.

Carter has also delivered quality career numbers at Safeco Field, where he's opening a three-game series Monday. The first baseman has hit .284/.370/.547 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 95 at-bats against the Mariners on the road.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt connected for his fifth home run of the season on Sunday, pulling even with the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez for the lead in the National League.

Goldschmidt went 1 for 3 with two runs scored in the D-Backs' win.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 7-2 loss to the Twins Sunday.

Santana's home run came in the top of the ninth inning, so it had no impact on the outcome of the game. It was his first extra-base hit in more than a week.

"They changed their approach," said Santana to Cleveland.com. "But we face them a lot this year so I'll have to change my approach to them. This is what happens in this league."

Santana has hit .244/.354/.415 with two home runs and seven RBI in 41 at-bats in 11 games.