MLB Player News

Flores went 3-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run in Thursday's win over the Phillies.

The homer was his 14th of the season and third in five games, but despite his current hot streak Flores could be spending a lot of time on the bench beginning Friday after top first-base prospect Dominic Smith was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas. Flores' best hope for a starting spot over the remainder of the season might come at third base if Asdrubal Cabrera gets dealt to a contender.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Hoskins will see the majority of his playing time in left field until Aaron Altherr (hamstring) returns from the disabled list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Altherr is not expected back until September. When he returns, Mackanin will start to give Hoskins more time at first base. He will have to split time at first base with Tommy Joseph, but if he performs well in his left field trial this month, he will also be able to make some outfield starts in September. Hoskins made his major-league debut Thursday, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

Smith was called up by the Mets on Thursday.

The club designated reliever Fernando Salas for assignment in order to clear room on both the 25 and 40-man rosters for Smith. The 22-year-old first base prospect is considered one of the gems of the Mets' organization and has shown excellent pop from the left side of the plate with 16 home runs and 52 total extra-base hits at Triple-A Las Vegas this season.

Bell went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Thursday's win over the Tigers.

It was his first home run of August and 20th of the year. The pop has been surprising for a player who was better known for his hit tool as a prospect and managed only three homers in 45 games last season. This level of power may not be sustainable, but there is room for growth with the batting average, and improvement there would help offset any power decline.

Votto went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, three walks and two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Padres.

He continues to hit and get on base at an elite clip -- Votto has hit safely in 15 straight games, with 16 walks over that stretch -- and he's hitting for more power than ever before in his age-33 season. Votto's 1.051 OPS is the best in baseball.

Smith will be called up by the Mets prior to Friday's game against the Phillies, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.

Smith has been knocking on the door of his major-league debut for quite some time now, and with Lucas Duda and Jay Bruce on other clubs, the No. 2 prospect in New York's system will finally get his opportunity. In 114 games with Triple-A Las Vegas this season, Smith is hitting .330/.386/.519 with an OPS of .905. Additionally, he's swatted 16 home runs and plated 76 runners while providing a viable glove at first base. He will be plugged into the lineup for Friday's contest upon his arrival, and is likely to maintain an everyday role with the Mets throughout the rest of the season.

Cabrera is not in Thursday's lineup against the Phillies.

Cabrera will remain on the bench for the second straight game after starting the previous seven contests. In his place, Neil Walker draws the start at third, batting second. Since the All-Star break, Cabrera is hitting .277/.324/.383 with one home run and 10 RBI.

Hoskins was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Hoskins has deserved a promotion for a couple months now, but the Phillies have been reluctant to pull the plug on Tommy Joseph at first base. To that end, Hoskins has played his last three games in left field for the Iron Pigs, and figures to see the bulk of his starts there in Philadelphia, while spelling Joseph at first base roughly once a week. Hoskins has done everything in his power to silence doubters this season, putting up better numbers despite moving from the hitter-friendly park at Double-A Reading to a more neutral environment at Lehigh Valley. He upped his ISO from .285 to .297 and significantly improved his strikeout rate, down from 21.2 percent to 15.8 percent, while also slightly improving his walk rate to 13.5 percent. While scouts are somewhat concerned about his ability to hit offspeed pitches, it's possible that Hoskins goes on a quick tear if he gets fastballs early in the count in his first tour of the National League. He is worth picking up in standard leagues and should have already been rostered in deeper mixers and NL-only leagues. The 24-year-old will make his major-league debut Thursday in left field, batting seventh in the order.

Bell will start at first base and bat cleanup in Thursday's matinee against the Tigers.

He had two of Pittsburgh's three hits Wednesday and also reached base with a walk. Bell hasn't started two of the last four games with opponents starting southpaws, as he's slashing .228/.301/.457 in 92 at-bats against left-handed pitching. Overall, he carries an .803 OPS through 113 games and has seen nearly the same number of pitches (4.05 per plate appearance) as he did last season (4.06) -- both impressive numbers. Bell has never faced Thursday's righty starter Drew VerHagen, who's allowed a career slash line of .306/.410/.459 to left-handed hitters.

Hoskins will join the Phillies prior to Thursday's game against the Mets, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports.

The top prospect has been tearing it up at the Triple-A level this season with Lehigh Valley, hitting .284/.385/.581 with 29 home runs, 91 RBI and a .966 OPS. During Wednesday's game against Norfolk, Hoskins went 3-for-5 with one home run, five RBI and two runs, and should get an opportunity immediately with the big-league club during this weekend's series. Although the 24-year-old is typically stationed at first base, he may be in line to receive some time in left field while Aaron Altherr is on the DL with a hamstring injury. This will mark Hoskins' big-league debut after he spent the last three years moving up through the minor-league system.