Votto is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Nationals.

Votto has gone deep in back-to-back contests, but he'll take a seat versus left-hander MacKenzie Gore in this one. Kevin Newman is at first base and Tyler Stephenson will be the designated hitter while Luke Maile handles catching duties.

Votto went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over Washington.

Votto now has homers in back-to-back games following an 0-for-18 slump over his previous six contests. Wednesday's three-hit effort was his first since June 23. Votto will look to build on his solid performance, as he's had a slow start to the year following offseason rotator cuff surgery. The veteran first-baseman is slashing .205/.340/.545 with five homers, 11 RBI and eight runs scored through his first 53 plate appearances.

Walker went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Mets.

Walker has homered in back-to-back games since he snapped an 0-for-13 skid. The first baseman has also logged four of his five steals this season over his last 14 games, providing some surprising speed. On the year, he's slashing .270/.337/.521 with 18 long balls, 57 RBI, 46 runs scored and 25 doubles through 83 contests while serving in a near-everyday role.

Cron went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Astros.

Cron has hit well since returning from the injured list June 27, collecting nine hits across 25 at-bats. However, prior to going yard for his seventh homer of the season Wednesday, he had only one extra-base hit since being activated. While Cron's overall numbers have declined from recent seasons, he's striking out at only a 21.3 percent clip and also has a 15.6 percent barrel rate -- both of which suggest he could be in line for better results in the second half.

Flores went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Mariners.

All three hits were singles and none of them directly generated a run, but it was still a positive showing for Flores. He's hit safely in nine of his last 11 games, though that's a span that dates back to June 11. He's gotten in the lineup four times in the last six contests and could continue to pick up playing time with Thairo Estrada (hand) out for 4-6 weeks. Flores is slashing .266/.332/.457 with eight home runs, 24 RBI, 21 runs scored and nine doubles over 193 plate appearances this season.

Milwaukee placed Tellez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right forearm inflammation.

This diagnosis might help to explain some of Tellez's recent struggles, as he has slashed just .136/.184/.173 over his last 87 plate appearances and hasn't homered since May 22. He'll be first eligible to return the Saturday after the All-Star break.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 8-5 loss to the Mets.

Walker whacked the first of back-to-back homers in the fourth inning off Max Scherzer, then walked with the bases loaded in the ninth. The homer snapped an 0-for-16 run for the first baseman. Walker is up to 17 home runs and a team-high 56 RBI.

Cronenworth went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI during Tuesday's 8-5 win against the Angels.

The 29-year-old found plenty of success versus Shohei Ohtani, including his eighth home run of the season. Cronenworth struggled to a .557 OPS in June, but he's gone 8-for-20 with three doubles, a home run, seven RBI and three runs over his past six games.

Cooper went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's 15-2 victory over the Cardinals.

Cooper extended Miami's lead to 4-0 with a solo homer off Adam Wainwright in the third inning, his 11th of the year, before driving in two more runs with a base hit in the seventh. The 32-year-old first baseman has swung the bat well recently, going 20-for-58 (.325) with a .958 OPS over his last 15 contests. Overall, Cooper's slashing .255/.300/.436 with 39 RBI and 22 runs scored through 260 plate appearances this season.

San Diego recalled Batten from Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday.

Batten is 28 years old and has appeared in only 15 major-league games, but he can play all around the diamond defensively while offering good speed off the bench.