MLB Player News

Votto (back) will bat second and play first base Friday against Texas.

Votto left Wednesday's game against Cleveland with back stiffness but said that he was "totally fine" following the game, so it's little surprise to see him back in action following Thursday's scheduled off day. The first baseman owns an excellent .397/.429/.569 slash line over his last 14 games.

Walker is not starting Friday against the Nationals.

Walker will sit for the second time in the last four games, and he has just a single hit in his last five contests. Kevin Cron will get the nod at first base.

France went 1-for-4 with a solo home run for Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

France left the yard for a third straight game for the Chihuahuas with a sixth-inning solo blast. He was optioned on June 6 after Fernando Tatis Jr. was activated from the injured list, leaving him without a spot on the infield, but he's been lighting it up in Triple-A all season, as he's now sporting a ridiculous .426/.504/.901 slash line with 12 homers and 38 RBI. However, that didn't translate much during his time with the big club, as he slashed just .235/.290/.357 in 98 at-bats before he was sent back down.

Beaty (hip flexor) has been activated from the 10-day injured list, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

The Dodgers activated Beaty after the minimum amount of time, as Corey Seager heads to the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury in a corresponding move. Beaty was 12-for-42 with seven RBI in 17 games before the injury.

Hiura is 9-for-29 (.310) with two home runs, two doubles and seven RBI in seven games since being optioned to Triple-A San Antonio.

Hiura hit the ball well with San Antonio (1.106 OPS) prior to making his big-league debut May 14, hit the ball well for the Brewers (.864 OPS) over his 17 games with the big club, and has continued hitting the ball well since returning to the Triple-A level (.941 OPS). The Brewers have not indicated when they plan to call him up again, but that day may not be too far down the road -- and he figures to hit the ball well again whenever it comes.

Votto says he is "totally fine" after exiting Wednesday's game with back stiffness, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Votto missed two games in late April with the same injury, but hopefully with Thursday's off day, he will be able to get back into the lineup for the weekend series against the Rangers. Derek Dietrich would likely get a start at first base if Votto needs to miss a game.

Bell went 2-for-5 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 8-7 extra-innings loss to Atlanta.

The first baseman broke out of an 11-game homer drought -- his longest of the year -- with a blast off Luke Jackson in the ninth inning that briefly gave a Bucs a 7-6 lead. The cold stretch helped lower Bell's slash line on the season to a still-impressive .325/.392/.663 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI through 66 games.

Cooper went 3-for-5 with a triple, a grand slam and a second run scored in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Cardinals.

His second-inning blast off Miles Mikolas put the game well out of reach, and Cooper spent the rest of the night chasing a cycle. The 28-year-old has been locked in at the plate since mid-May, slashing .340/.422/.564 over his last 25 games with six homers and 20 RBI, and his emergence has been a big factor in the Miami offense suddenly displaying some clout after a weak start to the season.

Flores underwent testing on his fractured right foot to determine if he can begin to ramp up activity, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The team is awaiting the results of the testing. Flores, who has been limited to upper-body work, has been out since May 19 when he was hit by a pitch on the foot. Given the length of time away from activity, Flores will likely need a rehab assignment.

Votto was removed from Wednesday's game against the Indians due to back stiffness.

Votto was 1-for-2 with a solo homer -- his second in the last five games -- before being removed in the bottom of the fifth inning prior to his third at-bat. Josh VanMeter pinch hit for Votto, who should be considered day-to-day for now. The Reds have a scheduled off day Thursday, so the veteran first baseman will have an extra day to rest and recover before potentially rejoining the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Rangers.