MLB Player News

Voit was called up to the big leagues Tuesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old appeared in 62 games in his big-league debut for the Cardinals last season, hitting a mediocre .246/.306/.430 with four homers. He was hitting just .205/.354/.256 to start the year for Triple-A Memphis. Voit is pretty much a pure first baseman (with a single start in left field this year being the only exception since 2016) but Jose Martinez is firmly entrenched in that role at the big-league level, so don't expect him to be much more than a bench bat during his stay with the Cardinals. Mike Mayers was optioned to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.

Rizzo is starting at first base and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Rockies.

Rizzo is off to a very slow start to the season, hitting just .149/.259/.189 with one homer through 18 games, so manager Joe Maddon will bump him up to the top of the order in an attempt to get him going at the plate. Maddon did something similar last season and Rizzo responded well, going 15-for-50 with five homers and 12 RBI in the leadoff spot.

Bour (back) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Bour took batting practice Monday and was hoping to return to action Tuesday, but he'll remain sidelined for a fourth straight game as he continues to deal back spasms. The fact that he was eyeing Tuesday as a return date suggests that he's nearing a return and won't need a stint on the DL, though a DL stint has not been ruled out. Derek Dietrich will once again start at first base in his stead, hitting cleanup.

Bell went 0-for-4 against Washington on Monday, dropping his batting average to a season-low .232 in 112 at-bats.

Since starting 2018 with a six-game hitting streak, the first baseman has slashed .193/.260/.261 in his last 96 plate appearances. He's collected just seven extra-base hits, including one homer, with an .089 ISO -- well below his career mark (.181 ISO). In three seasons, Bell has hit .232 through June and .270 thereafter. The sample is small but it's possible the 25-year-old native Texan simply hits better in warm weather. He continues to bat exclusively from the cleanup spot as Pittsburgh has shown no signs of wavering with the switch hitter.

Bour (back) took batting practice Monday with the hope of returning to the lineup Tuesday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

It seems like Bour is progressing without issue in his recovery program. He's been out of action since Saturday, though it seems like he's very close to returning to action and will not need a stint on the disabled list. Derek Dietrich will fill in for him at first base for Monday night, but monitor Bour's status closely as Tuesday's game time approaches.

Santana is starting at first base and hitting fifth Monday against the Marlins, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Santana has gotten off to an extremely slow start to the season, as evidenced by his .160/.305/.287 line with two homers through 27 games, so manager Gabe Kapler decided to drop him a few spots in the order in an attempt to get him going. This is just the second time all season Santana hasn't hit in the two hole, which is being occupied by Rhys Hoskins on Monday.

Bour (back) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Bour will remain sidelined for a third straight game as he continues to deal with back spasms. It's still unclear when he'll return to the lineup. In the meantime, Derek Dietrich will start at first base and hit cleanup in his stead.

Alonso went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs for Double-A Binghamton in the affiliate's 6-4 win over Erie on Sunday.

Alonso has cleared the fences in four consecutive games, bringing his home-run total up to seven in just 88 plate appearances this season. The 23-year-old impressed late last season in a smaller sample of games with Binghamton and has only upped the ante in 2018, producing an incredible 1.278 OPS in the Eastern League. Though Adrian Gonzalez merely represents a placeholder at first base for the big club, it's not expected that Alonso will earn an extended audition in the majors at any point in the near future, despite his immense success to date.

Bour (back) will sit out Sunday against the Rockies, Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Bour was scratched because of back spasms Saturday, and he'll remain out of the starting lineup Sunday with the same issue. Although the injury doesn't appear to be overly serious, it's unclear when he'll be able to return to action. J.T. Realmuto will take over at first base Sunday in his absence.

Hague joined the Nationals on a minor-league deal Friday, Syracuse.com reports.

Hague spent spring training with the Mariners but was released Tuesday. The 32-year-old has appeared in 43 major-league games in his career, but none since 2015. He has a .226/.286/.262 career line in the big leagues. He'll be little more than minor-league depth for the Nationals.