MLB Player News

Chris Carter has homered six times in his last eight games to make him the sixth-best hitter in Head-to-Head leagues and the fifth-best in Rotisserie during that stretch, which is great.

Now who wants to bet on him doing it again in his next eight?

We've seen this before from him -- too many times before -- so we know what comes next: a two-week stretch when he collects just three hits, striking out every other at-bat. How do you think his batting average got to be .223 last season? How do you think it got to be .205 this season? He has five more singles than home runs, for crying out loud.

And that's the catch with him: He can hit you bunches of home runs, sure, but because he does absolutely nothing in between, he's inevitably sitting for you when he hits those home runs.

Maybe he won't cool off this week. Maybe the requisite slump won't come until the last week of July or the first week of August. But rest assured, it'll come, so unless you're willing to ride it out with him, you might as well not even bother with him. I don't know about you, but I'd have to be pretty desperate for power to take that hit in batting average.

White Sox All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu will open the second half of the season with an eight-game hitting streak. In fact, the rookie first baseman has failed to record a hit just once in his last 27 games.

Abreu is batting .355 with a .400 on-base percentage, .692 slugging percentage and 1.092 OPS in his last 27 games. He also has six doubles, 10 home runs, 15 runs, 22 RBI, eight walks (five intentional), 18 strikeouts and one stolen base in that span.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has posted a .327 batting average in July, but he heads into the All-Star break still looking for his first home run of the month.

Freeman started off the season in good form, knocking six home runs in April, but he managed just seven in the next two months before coming up empty in the first two weeks of July. Even with the lack of power recently, the first baseman has maintained great overall numbers, hitting .295/.384/.495 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI in 366 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been chosen as the leadoff hitter for the NL team in Tuesday's All-Star game.

The batting order following McCutchen will be Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (DH), Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy and Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez.

Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright will be on the hill to start the game for the NL All-Stars.

Need a sleeper for the second half? Matt Adams, Martin Prado, Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy and C.J. Cron are some of my favorites.

Check out my latest column to find out why.

Reds manager Bryan Price believes first baseman Joey Votto's timetable will come down to weeks, not months, MLB.com reports Saturday.

"It's so far out, and when I say 'far out,' it's more weeks; I'm not talking about months and months and months," Price said. "But with both Brandon [Phillips] and Joey, we're talking more about weeks than days. So I think it would be reckless of me to suggest there's a due date on when either one of them would be back."

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter has found his swing in recent games, as he put together his second multi-homer game in three days Friday against the Red Sox.

Carter went deep twice in an 8-3 loss to the Red Sox, clubbing a pair of solo home runs. He finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two driven in along with one strikeout in the loss.

Carter has a seven-game hitting streak active, and has clubbed six home runs in that span. He now has 19 on the season, ranking eighth in the American League, while hitting .203/.280/.470 in 266 at-bats. 

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter hit two home runs Friday against the Red Sox.

Carter's first blast came in the sixth inning. He worked a six-pitch at-bat from John Lackey, homering on a 92 mph fastball. In his next at-bat Carter managed another solo shot, this time off reliever Craig Breslow. Carter finished 2 for 4, with two runs scored and two RBI. 

Indians catcher Carlos Santana had just one hit Thursday, but he made it count in a 9-3 win over the Yankees.

Santana went 1 for 5 with a two-run home run in the win, while striking out twice. It was his second home run of the month of July and 14th of the season.

Santana is hitting .208/.349/.391 in 81 games. 

Indians infielder Asdrubal Cabrera put together his first multi-RBI in weeks Thursday, in a 9-3 win over the Yankees.

Cabrera reached base three times, and none of those times was more important than when he drove in three runs with a seventh-inning triple to tied the game. He finished the game 2 for 4 with one run scored and a walk in addition to his three RBI.

Cabrera had just one RBI in the first eight games of the month of July, and now has 37 RBI in 86 games overall. He is hitting .251/.312/.398 in 339 at-bats.