MLB Player News

Votto (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After Votto sat out the second game of Monday's doubleheader, the Reds revealed that he was contending with a tight right hamstring, which kept him on the bench for Tuesday's 11-6 win. He'll now sit out a third straight contest on account of the injury, paving the way for Derek Dietrich to pick up another start at first base following his three-homer performance a day earlier.

Walker went hitless in four at-bats in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Rockies.

Walker made a third straight start Tuesday after he'd been given a one-game break Saturday, but the breather did nothing to revive his slumbering bat. He hasn't produced a base hit over his last 21 at-bats and is down to .239. Manager Torey Lovullo may give Kevin Cron a bigger share of the playing time if Walker continues to slide.

Olson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Angels.

Olson's sixth-inning long ball tied the game at four runs apiece, but it was all the offense the Athletics could muster. The first baseman has six homers, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored in 19 games in May. For the year, he's hitting .238/.330/.500 over 80 at-bats.

Cooper went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, three runs and a walk during an 11-3 victory against the Giants on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old is coming around, as he is hitting .303 (10-for-33) with four extra-base hits, including three home runs, in the last eight games. Two of those extra-base hits have come since Monday. But Cooper started in a big hole, going 0-for-14 to begin the season. He also spent time on the injured list during that slump.

Hiura went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Twins.

The rookie took Blake Parker deep in the eighth inning, Hiura's third homer in the last eight games. He's now slashing .261/.306/.457 since his promotion, and while his 1:19 BB:K through 13 contests is worrisome, the 22-year-old is doing some damage when he does make contact.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Phillies.

Goldschmidt took Nick Pivetta deep in the first inning to record his 11th home run of the season. It was both his first homer and extra-base hit since May 12. While he's still hitting a respectable .268 and getting on-base at a strong .359 clip, his current .449 slugging percentage is nearly 80 points lower than his mark in 2018.

Votto isn't starting Tuesday against Pittsburgh due to right hamstring tightness, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Votto felt the issue crop up during Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader. The veteran first baseman doesn't expect the injury to bother him for long, however, and he's optimistic that he'll be available to pinch hit Tuesday evening, per Nightengale.

Diaz (hand) took batting practice Tuesday but still felt discomfort, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

This report dovetails with an update from Monday that relayed Diaz was unlikely to return when first eligible to come off the injured list Thursday. Given that he felt discomfort Tuesday, it's possible Diaz takes some days off before attempting to swing a bat again.

Votto isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

This marks the second straight game that Votto has been out of the lineup, though there's been no word on an injury. Derek Dietrich draws the start at first base and is batting cleanup with Votto out of the mix.

Diaz (hand) is eligible to come off the injured list Thursday but appears unlikely to do so, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. "He didn't touch a bat for the Cleveland series," manager Kevin Cash said. "I would imagine he will check on it today, but if it's still sore, he's got some time so we don't want to aggravate it, but hopefully he continues to make progress."

The lack of any recent physical activity on Diaz's part seems to imply that a return Thursday is likely premature. The infielder sustained his injury when he was hit by a pitch May 20, and he may well need a few days beyond the minimum IL stay to be able to swing a bat at full strength.