MLB Player News

Votto (back) is batting cleanup and playing first base Tuesday in New York.

Votto will step back into the lineup for the first time since July 4 after battling a back injury. Prior to missing time, the veteran slashed .216/.326/.405 with three RBI in his last 10 games.

Raley went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Monday against the Red Sox.

Raley was promoted to the majors after Kevin Kiermaier (hip) landed back on the injured list Sunday. Raley isn't likely to find himself in the starting lineup often, but he replaced Harold Ramirez in left field Monday. He maintained a .290/.385/.560 line across 118 plate appearances with Triple-A Durham prior to being recalled -- strong numbers even considering the positive offensive environment.

Aranda went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Monday against the Red Sox.

Aranda drew his first start since being recalled Sunday, and he played second base while hitting fourth. The Rays have a lot of positional flexibility along their infield, but Aranda should be able to find regular playing time between second base and shortstop in the short term with both Wander Franco (wrist) and Brandon Lowe (back) sidelined. Once Lowe is activated -- which could come as early as Friday -- Aranda will vie for playing time at shortstop with Yu Chang and Taylor Walls. Aranda is a well-regarded prospect, and he tallied the second RBI of his career with a base knock in the fifth inning Monday.

Naylor is not in the starting lineup for Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Naylor will get a breather in the matinee after he returned to the lineup Monday following a back issue. He'll likely be in lineup for Game 2, but more information will come at the conclusion of the afternoon game. Owen Miller will get the start at first base and bat seventh in Game 1.

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Cardinals.

The 29-year-old slugger took Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning, but it was all the offense the Phillies could muster. Hoskins has gone yard five times in the last 12 games, batting .310 (13-for-42) over that stretch, but four of them have been solo shots to limit his fantasy impact. On the season, he's slashing .255/.347/.494 with 18 homers and 43 RBI through 86 contests.

Casas (ankle) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with the Red Sox's rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Sidelined since May 17 with a high right ankle sprain, Casas is finally ready for game action after a prolonged recovery. He'll likely play in at least a couple games in the FCL this week and if all goes well, he could come off the 7-day injured list and settle back in as an everyday player in the Triple-A Worcester lineup following the All-Star break. One of Boston's top prospects, the 22-year-old first baseman was slashing .248/.359/.457 in 156 plate appearances at Triple-A before the injury cropped up.

Diaz went 3-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI in Monday's 10-5 win over the Red Sox.

The 30-year-old has been hitting the cover off the ball lately. Diaz has 10 multi-hit performances in his last 15 games, slashing an absurd .500/.569/.704 over that stretch with 11 doubles, eight RBI and 11 runs with a 9:4 BB:K. The lack of over-the-fence power does mute his value a little, but it's doubtful many fantasy GMs will be complaining about his current form.

Calhoun went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored as the designated hitter in Monday's 10-8 win over the Athletics.

Calhoun got the start at DH in the Rangers' first game after Mitch Garver (forearm) underwent surgery. Garver, who was added to the 60-day injured list, will miss the rest of the season, which opens up DH for a rotation of players, including Calhoun and fellow lefty hitter Brad Miller.

Cron (wrist) went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and three strikeouts in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Padres.

Cron missed two games after he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist in Friday's contest. His timing was a little off in his return, but there's little reason for fantasy managers to be concerned about the first baseman. He's maintained a reasonable 26 percent strikeout rate while slashing .292/.345/.544 with 20 home runs, 67 RBI, 49 runs scored and 19 doubles in 85 contests. Cron has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, going 15-for-52 (.288) in that span.

Cronenworth went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Monday's 6-5 win over the Rockies.

Cronenworth had four hits in his last nine games to begin July, so this was an encouraging showing. He hadn't homered since June 20, picking up only three extra-base hits (all doubles) prior to his long ball Monday. The infielder is up to eight homers, 45 RBI, 54 runs scored and a stolen base while slashing .241/.334/.389 through 86 contests this year. Despite his recent batting struggles, Cronenworth has maintained a place in the upper third of the Padres' order.