MLB Player News

Votto (illness) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Votto has been on the COVID-19 injured list since May 3, and the Reds have said that the first baseman will require a rehab stint prior to rejoining the major-league club. He'll join the team's Triple-A affiliate Saturday and will attempt to find some success at the plate after hitting just .122 with a double, four runs and three RBI in the big leagues this season. The team hasn't officially indicated how many rehab games Votto will require, but manager David Bell recently said that the 38-year-old could rejoin the Reds when they travel to Toronto next weekend.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 8-2 loss to the Giants.

Goldschmidt's RBI groundout in the first inning and solo homer in the eighth provided the Cardinals' only two runs in the blowout loss. The veteran first baseman is 10-for-24 with five extra-base hits over his last six games. He's now slashing .299/.388/.444 with three home runs through 134 plate appearances.

Flores (back) is starting Friday against the Cardinals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Flores missed two consecutive games due to lower-back tightness, but he'll be back in the lineup after Thursday's scheduled day off. Over his last three games, the 30-year-old has gone 3-for-10 with a homer, a double, six RBI, two runs and two walks. He'll start at the hot corner and bat third in Friday's series opener.

Votto (illness) could be a few days away from a rehab assignment, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Votto has been on the COVID-19 injured list since May 3, but he's close to returning to game action. The 38-year-old has gotten off to a slow start to the season, so he'll attempt to find his timing at the plate once he ultimately joins a minor-league affiliate. Bell previously indicated that the Reds' road trip in Toronto next weekend is a potential target for Votto to rejoin the major-league club.

Smith isn't starting Friday against the Mariners, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith has gone 0-for-13 with four strikeouts over his last six games, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second straight matchup with left-hander Marco Gonzales on the mound for the Mariners. J.D. Davis will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth.

Montero has gone 11-for-33 with two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored since being optioned to Triple-Albuquerque on May 1.

Montero made his brief major-league debut at the end of April, as he started one game before being demoted back to Triple-A. The only downside to his performance since his return to the minors has been a 25 percent strikeout rate, though his 17.1 percent clip for the season is more palatable. Montero doesn't have a clear path to playing time in Colorado with Ryan McMahon locked in at third base, though Montero could earn some plate appearances at designated hitter if he continues to hit well.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in a 3-2 loss Thursday against Baltimore.

Goldschmidt appeared as the designated hitter Thursday, receiving a break from the field for the second time this season. After popping out and striking out twice in his first three plate appearances, he singled and stole a base in the eighth as the Cardinals attempted a comeback. In May, the veteran has been excellent, slashing .314/.442/.514 with eight walks in 10 games. The stolen base was his third on the season and, while he's no longer a threat for 20 steals, the 34-year-old is still capable of reaching double-digit thefts.

Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Nationals, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The lefty-hitting Smith will give way to the righty-hitting J.D. Davis at designated hitter, even though the Nationals are bringing a right-hander (Joan Adon) to the hill. Though Smith should have the overall edge on playing time over Davis, the two don't look like they'll be deployed in a strict platoon.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Nationals.

He gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the top of the first by taking Aaron Sanchez deep, but the game was all Nats after that. Alonso has slugged five of his eight homers on the year in the last 12 games, a stretch during which he's slashed .333/.423/.711 with 12 RBI.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, three RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 10-1 win over the Orioles.

Goldschmidt hadn't knocked in a run in seven games before his strong performance Wednesday. He's hit safely in four straight contests, going 7-for-16 in that span. The first baseman owns a .294/.389/.422 slash line with two home runs, 14 RBI, 16 runs scored, two stolen bases and eight doubles in 29 games.