MLB Player News

The Reds are hopeful first baseman Joey Votto can avoid a return trip to the disabled list, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

"We hope so," Jocketty said Thursday "He thinks he can. He's certainly made a difference."

Votto was placed on the disabled list with a quad injury in May before returning in mid-June, and he hasn't looked 100 percent at the plate, and manager Bryan Price noted recently that the first baseman had some "fatigue and tenderness" in his knee. Votto has hit .263/.374/.355 with no home runs and 10 RBI in 76 at-bats since his return.

Joey Votto hasn't slugged a home run for the Reds since May 10 - and he won't blast off Wednesday either unless he does so as a pinch-hitter. He's out of the lineup in San Diego.

Votto, who has not had a multi-hit game since June 21, boasts a stat line of .261/.399/.417. He has 22 RBI in 211 at-bats this season.

First baseman Justin Bour, who was demoted by the Marlins last week, has been promoted by the same team.

Bour spent much of June with Miami, but played sparingly and managed just one hit in his last nine at-bats.

Early-season surprise Chris Colabello has been promoted to the Twins, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, which has reported that he joined the team for the Wednesday afternoon clash against visiting Kansas City.

Colabello, who had been sent down on May 25, had 27 RBI in April before a 0-for-22 slump motivated his demotion.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu had one hit in each game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Angels.

Abreu went 1 for 3 with a walk in the 8-4 loss in game one, though his one hit was a three-run home run to push him back into the league lead for home runs. He followed that up by going 1 for 4 in a 7-5 loss in the second game.

Abreu has taken the league by storm as a rookie. In 71 games, he has 26 home runs and 67 RBI, both of which put him into a tie for the major-league lead. He is also hitting .280/.329/.627 in 279 at-bats, ranking fifth in the American League in OPS.  

Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun went 2 for 4 with a walk and a two-run home run in his team's 7-5 win in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Calhoun smacked his home run in the eighth inning, and he's now managed to rack up multiple hits in four of his last six games, though he did go 0 for 3 in Game 1 of Tuesday's twin-bill. The outfielder has hit .284/.345/.494 with eight home runs and 21 RBI in 176 at-bats.

Angels outfieler Kole Calhoun led off Sunday's game against the Royals with a home run, but his team wasn't able to emerge victorious in a 5-4 loss in Kansas City.

Calhoun finished the game 2 for 5 with two runs, giving him three multihit efforts in his last four games. He has hit .284/.337/.485 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 169 at-bats.

One would assume that if Braves slugger Freddie Freeman achieved the first four-run game of his career that he would manage at least one hit in the process.

Well, one would assume wrong. Freeman indeed crossed the plate four times Saturday in Philadelphia, but did it without a hit. He walked three times and got on base on a fielder's choice. His strange numbers adjusted his stat line on the year to .289/.380/.503.

Angels designated hitter C.J. Cron belted two home runs Friday against the Royals.

Cron got to work immediately. In his first at-bat, Cron stepped against pitcher Jason Vargas. After working a seven-pitch at-bat, Cron managed to get a hold of an 89 mph fastball for the solo shot. He struck again in the fifth inning. This time, Cron wasted no time, hitting the first pitch he saw for a two-run shot. 

Cron finished 2 for 4, with two runs scored and three RBI. 

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu continued his home run binge Friday against the White Sox.

Playing against home run leader Edwin Encarnacion, Abreu apparently came into the game with something to prove. In the fifth inning, Abreu hit his first home run of the game. He worked a seven-pitch at-bat from R.A. Dickey, before taking him out to left.

Abreu's next home run came in an identical situation. He led off the seventh against R.A. Dickey. After working a five-pitch at-bat, Abreu muscled a solo shot to center field. Abreu has now hit 25 home runs this season, and is tied with Encarnacion and Nelson Cruz for the league-lead. He's hitting .280/.330/.633 over 264 at-bats.