MLB Player News

Reds first baseman Joey Votto was spotted taking groundballs Thursday, as he continues to make progress in his recovery from a quad injury.

In addition to working out on the field, Votto may begin taking live batting practice in the coming days, manager Bryan Price told the Cincinnati Enquirer Thursday. Votto remains without a specific timetable to return to action, despite this progress. 

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBI in his team's 12-6 win over the Padres Wednesday.

Goldschmidt absolutely crushed a ball to center field in the seventh inning that traveled 480 feet, according to ESPN Stats & Info. He also recorded his 22nd double in the victory. Goldschmidt has hit .309/.361/.545 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 220 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 2 for 4 with a walkoff, three-run home run in his team's 6-3 win over the Rockies Wednesday.

Howard collected four RBI in all, with one coming on a third-inning single. He saved his biggest shot for last, smashing a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth right after a Chase Utley single evened the game at 3-3. Howard has two home runs as well as two multi-hit efforts in his last three games, helping him boost his line to .240/.319/.437 with nine home runs and 34 RBI in 183 at-bats.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu looks like he will be able to avoid a minor-league rehab assignment, and has a hard target date for his return from an ankle injury.  

"We're going over that right now," manager Robin Ventura told MLB.com Wednesday. "You're trying to see if you can get him the work here so he wouldn't have to go out."

Abreu has been working out with the team, taking grounders and receiving treatment. Barring an unforeseen setback, he is hoping to return from the disabled list for the start of a series against the Dodgers Monday. 

If you own Ryan Howard in Fantasy, you're probably fed up with him by now. Yeah, he homered Monday, but with three in all of May, he's well off pace for the 30 you were hoping for.

And the finishing blow may have come Tuesday, when Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg not only started Darin Ruf in place of Howard against a left-hander but suggested it could become a permanent arrangement.

Yeah, sitting against lefties might redeem Howard's batting average somewhat. He's batting .212 against them this year and .224 for his career. But for the amount he'd sit, what he'd lose in the way of totals would effectively ruin his already fringy mixed-league appeal.

The platooon isn't a done deal yet, but with Ruf homering Tuesday, it's likely enough for you to consider dropping Howard, especially if a more promising Kendrys Morales or Jon Singelton type is still available on waivers.

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter apparently didn't take kindly to a three-game benching by Bo Porter. He responded upon his return to the lineup Wednesday by blasting two home runs in successive innings during a thrashing of Kansas City.

Carter slammed a solo job in the fifth and three-run homer in the sixth. Not bad considering he had not recorded a multi-hit game since May 16.

Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun has been a little ice cold since returning from the disabled list, going 1 for 16 (.063) in six games since his return. In fact, he's been held out of the starting lineup twice in that span since coming off the DL, including Tuesday at Seattle.

However, as I wrote in this week's Waiver Wire column, I don't think this is a good time to give up on Calhoun. In fact, if he's available in your Fantasy league, I wouldn't hesitate to add him to your roster.

You really have to be a fan of Calhoun's upside. Even before he went on the DL with an ankle injury, Calhoun was slugging .500 in 14 games and averaged 16.3 Fantasy points over the first three scoring periods. In the minors, Calhoun hit .320 with a .403 on-base percentage, .545 slugging percentage and .948 OPS over 358 games. That's a serious slash line.

Maybe Calhoun isn't off to a banner start this season, but to me that screams he's a perfect buy-low candidate since he's a player that's not living up to his potential right now.

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter is back in the team's starting lineup Wednesday against the Royals.

Carter isn't dealing with an injury, but has not played since May 24. He'll hit fifth and serve as the designated hitter. Through 156 at-bats, he's hitting .192/.278/.391.

Angels designated hitter C.J. Cron belted his third home run Tuesday.

In the top of the eighth, Cron led off the inning against Tom Wilhelmsen. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Cron clubbed a 96 mph fastball out to left for the solo shot. He added a double earlier in the contest.

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

Though he was hoping to serve just the minimum time on the DL, it appears unlikely that Joey Votto will be back in the Reds' lineup this Saturday when eligible.

"This particular injury doesn't have a due date on it," manager Bryan Price told MLB.com Tuesday. "Our target goal is to get him pain free and get his strength up to a level to expect his performance to be more like what we've seen in the past. I'm not sure we can get there all the way this year. But we want to get him to a place where he's confident he will not have regression."

Votto is making progress, but still had some pain as of Tuesday. Votto is not traveling with the team for its current two-city road trip, so it looks like he is likely out until the end of an upcoming series in Arizona. That series ends Sunday, one day after he is eligible to return.