MLB Player News

Votto (back) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

He'll be on the bench for a fourth straight game on account of lower-back tightness, an issue the Reds are viewing as a day-to-day concern. Considering Votto hasn't even been deployed as a pinch hitter over the past three days, a trip to the injured list remains a potential outcome for the six-time All-Star. Josh VanMeter will man first base in the series finale and will be the primary beneficiary for added time at the position if Votto ends up being placed on the IL.

Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's 11-6 loss to the Giants.

Walker entered as part of a double switch in the seventh inning and clubbed his 22nd homer of the year off Giants reliever Andrew Suarez in the bottom half of the frame. The first baseman owns a .260/.348/.479 line with 56 RBI an 64 runs scored across 116 games this year.

Flores went 4-for-5 with an RBI double and a run scored in Saturday's 11-6 loss to the Giants.

Flores wasn't originally scheduled to play, but Ketel Marte (back) was scratched from the initial lineup and Flores was the most successful Diamondbacks hitter on the night. His run production came in the first inning, as he plated Jarrod Dyson with a double before scoring on an error. Flores has managed multiple hits in his last three starts, going 9-for-12 with three homers and five RBI in that span. For the year, the infielder has a .309/.354/.459 line with five homers, 21 RBI and 20 runs scored across 181 at-bats.

Beaty went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Atlanta.

The 26-year-old rookie continues to produce when called upon. Beaty is now slashing .293/.332/.517 with seven homers and 37 RBI through his first 64 MLB games while handling primarily a platoon role against right-handed pitchers.

Alonso went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Royals.

For once, the rookie's offensive contributions didn't come via his prodigious power, as Alonso drove in both his runs with an infield single in the seventh inning that broke a 1-1 tie. He's now slashing .266/.370/.594 on the year with 39 homers and 93 RBI.

Walker is not in Saturday's lineup against the Giants.

He is hitting .306 with one home run in 49 at-bats this month. Jake Lamb is starting at first base, hitting fifth.

Hoskins (hand) is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Hoskins was hit by a pitch on his right hand Thursday, but X-rays were negative and he is ready to return to action after missing just one start. The 26-year-old will slot in atop the order against right-hander Dinelson Lamet, and it looks like the leadoff spot will be his regular batting-order position for now with Bryce Harper moving down to the two hole.

Votto (back) is not in Saturday's lineup against the Cardinals.

He will miss his third straight game since getting scratched from Thursday's lineup with lower-back tightness. Josh VanMeter will start at first base and hit second.

Solano came in as a replacement and went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's extra-innings win over Arizona.

Solano replaced Brandon Crawford mid-game, outperforming the starter by a mile despite also facing right-handed pitchers the rest of the way. The utility infielder has found new life in San Francisco, slashing .338/.368/.481 over 171 plate appearances. Solano has been finding his way into box scores more often (primarily against southpaws), but if he keeps things up and Crawford continues his season-long cold streak, a change at shortstop wouldn't be too surprising.

Flores went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs in Friday's 10-9 extra-innings loss to the Giants.

With one out in the eighth inning, the 28-year-old clipped a solo shot off reliever Tony Watson to bring the Diamondbacks within three. He then hit a pivotal long ball in the 10th off Will Smith as Arizona once again rallied to tie the score. Flores has now hit three home runs over the last three games, bringing his season total to five. Through 64 games, Flores is batting .295/.342/.443.