MLB Player News

Noda went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run in a win over the White Sox on Thursday.

The rookie slugger led off for only the fifth time this season and crossed the plate with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on Zack Gelof's two-run home run. Noda has reached safely in each of his first four games back from a stint on the injured list due to a jaw fracture, although he's still searching for his first extra-base hit since July 18.

Arias went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two runs scored and a stolen base in Thursday's loss against the Dodgers.

Arias singled in his first at-bat and stole home later in the inning to give the Guardians their first run of the game. He then added a 425-foot leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth, marking his fourth long ball this month. It was also just his second multi-hit game in August and his second three-hit game of the season. The utility player has hit safely in three straight and in five of his last six.

Kirilloff (shoulder) says he's back to full baseball activities, but the Twins will wait several more days to see if he's healthy enough to send him on a rehab assignment, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Kirilloff received a cortisone injection for his strained right shoulder in early August, and he's been able to ramp up his baseball work over the past couple weeks. It sounds like he could return in early September if he begins a rehab assignment by early next week.

Isaac, who was promoted to High-A Bowling Green on Tuesday, hit his first home run at that level Thursday against Winston-Salem.

Arguably the best first base prospect in the minors, Isaac has yet to face much resistance in pro ball, save for the fact he has a .672 OPS in 91 plate appearances against same-handed pitchers compared to a .907 OPS in 295 plate appearances against righties. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound 19-year-old will need to keep mashing at each level of the minors, given his lack of defensive versatility, but he has at least 70-grade raw power and has a 20.7 percent strikeout rate while being young for Single-A and High-A.

Votto (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the injured list in early September, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Votto was placed on the injured list Thursday due to left shoulder discomfort, a potential aggravation of the issue that forced him to miss nearly the first three months of the season. However, manager David Bell provided some clarification that Votto is expected to have a short stint on the shelf this time, with his earliest potential return being Sep. 3.

Cincinnati placed Votto on the 10-day injured list Thursday with left shoulder discomfort.

It's the same shoulder that required a surgical repair last year. Votto got off to an encouraging start when he finally joined the Reds in June, but he is slashing just .167/.262/.296 over his last 61 plate appearances dating back to Aug. 3. There is no timetable for his return from this latest setback.

Casas is not in the lineup for Thursday's tilt in Houston, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Casas is not dealing with any known injury, but it's odd to see him not starting versus a right-hander, especially after he just missed two games over the weekend with a tooth infection. Justin Turner is at first base Thursday, with Masataka Yoshida in the designated hitter spot.

Abreu is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Red Sox, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Abreu started Wednesday in his first game back off the injured list, but he'll yield to Jon Singleton on Thursday. The veteran first baseman had missed a couple weeks of action with a nagging back issue.

Steer went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in the first game of the Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of the Angels. He added a hit, two walks and an RBI in the nightcap.

Steer has hit safely in four consecutive games and has at least one RBI in three straight. He's driven in 12 runs during August, placing him atop the club with 70 RBI for the season. Steer, who has bounced around the order all season, has primarily batted cleanup this month.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.

Washington managed only three hits against a trio of New York pitchers, and Smith's ninth-inning solo shot accounted for the team's only run of the game. The long ball was the first for Smith since the All-Star break, though he's posted a .279 batting average over 111 at-bats during that span. Despite that decent mark, Smith doesn't produce enough to be a reliable fantasy asset -- he has just six homers, 34 RBI and one stolen base over 123 contests on the campaign.