MLB Player News

Reds first baseman Joey Votto will start at the cleanup spot Friday against Colorado for the first time since August 10, 2009.

Votto had moved from the third to the second spot in the lineup this season. His power numbers, which took a hit last year, have continued to slip. He has just four home runs and 10 RBI in 2013. His batting average has slipped to a disappointing .263 with a 6-for-37 run.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores was called up Thursday, but questions remain about his final position, according to Newsday.

"He's not a shortstop," a rival scout told the paper. "He will struggle to handle the speed of the position, doesn't have the footwork or body control to handle plays around the bag." Despite that, the team is going to give Flores a shot at short. There's a sense that he'll have to hit well enough in order to make up for his defensive flaws.

The team has used Flores at second and third in the past, but there's no clear opening at those spots on the big league roster. Flores hit .307 in 114 at-bats in Triple-A.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was pulled from Thursday's 12-5 loss to the Cubs with a left ankle injury, manager Robin Ventura told reporters after the game, according to Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

Abreu stayed in the game until the ninth inning before he was lifted for Marcus Semien. He finished 1 for 4 with a single.

"He just seemed like he was limping a little bit tonight, that's why in the end there I took him out," Ventura said. "He says he's fine. He's limping around a little bit, but he'll be fine."

He is hitting .266/.323/.608 with 12 homers and 35 RBI in 143 at-bats. His status remains uncertain for Friday's game against Arizona.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo put together his first multi-hit game in nearly a week Thursday, in a 12-5 win over the White Sox.

Rizzo was 3 for 5 in the game, including a two-run home run in the third inning. He added a walk and scored three runs in the blowout win.

Rizzo is now hitting .294/.414/.513 in 119 at-bats, with seven home runs and 18 RBI. He has 23 walks and 22 strikeouts in 33 games, as well, while scoring 22 runs. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard had just one hit Thursday against the Blue Jays, but he made it count.

Howard slugged a two-run home run late in the 12-6 loss, his seventh of the season. He was just 1 for 5 otherwise, with a pair of strikeouts, as he dropped his batting average to .236.

Howard is hitting .236/.301/.455 in 123 at-bats, with seven home run and 20 RBI in 32 games.  

The Mets promoted Wilmer Flores to the big-league roster Thursday, which may not seem like a big deal to most Fantasy owners. After all, he hit .211 (20 for 95) in limited action last year and is taking the roster spot of Omar Quintanilla, who barely played.

But just because he's underwhelmed you to this point doesn't mean Flores is a lost cause. And just because he hasn't gotten real opportunities in the past doesn't mean he won't this time.

Flores, as you may or may not have heard, has played almost exclusively shortstop at Triple-A Las Vegas this season, and the biggest hole in the Mets lineup happens to be shortstop, where the punchless Ruben Tejada is hovering around the Mendoza line for the second straight year.

Granted, Flores offers little in the way of defense, which is why hasn't already secured a job in the majors. Even at age 22, he can hit, having batted .321 with 15 home runs at Las Vegas last season. The way he makes contact, having never struck out more than 77 times over seven minor-league seasons, gives him some hope of becoming a Martin Prado-like hitter (the good version) in the majors.

We'll have to monitor their starting lineups in the days ahead to know for sure, but the Mets may have finally decided they can overlook the defense to add some thump to the lineup, which would be a significant development at the weakest position in Fantasy.

Twins surprising first baseman Chris Colabello has slumped off since a torrid start, but has remained productive at times. One of those times was in the sixth inning of the game Thursday in Cleveland when he slammed a two-run double to put his team on the board.

Colabello has exactly one hit in each of his last six games, but hasn't had a multi-hit game since April 23 and has just eight hits in his last 51 at-bats to lower his average from .346 to .271. He is still among the American League leaders in RBI with 30.

Embattled Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera got picked off first Thursday and allowed a dribbler to turn into a two-run single, but he had one heck of a day at the plate against Minnesota.

Cabrera not only recorded his first four-hit game since May 5, 2012, but nearly hit for the cycle. He slammed a home run in the second, single in the fifth, double in the seventh and another double in the eighth that could have been ruled a triple. Cabrera had rounded second when the throw was heaved to the plate.

His six hits in the last two games has raised his average from .205 to .238.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores was called up Thursday, the team announced. 

The move was expected late Wednesday, as the team designated Omar Quintanilla for assignment. Flores hit .307 in 114 at-bats in Triple-A. 

The Mets are expected to promote infielder Wilmer Flores from Triple-A Las Vegas Thursday, according to ESPN.com. Flores will likely take the roster spot left vacant after Omar Quintanilla was designated for assignment.

Flores will likely see some playing time at shortstop, though how he will split time with Ruben Tejada remains to be seen. He appeared in 27 games with the Mets a year ago, posting a .211/.248/.295 line in 95 at-bats, but is hitting .296 with five home runs and 23 RBI in 28 games for Triple-A Las Vegas.