MLB Player News

Santana went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo homer in Sunday's loss to the Mets.

Santana's 23rd homer of the year tied his total from last season, but it wasn't enough to lift the Phillies over the Mets. The first baseman is now riding an 11-game hitting streak, a stretch in which he's hit .333/.375/.644 with four homers.

Bell has hit home runs in back-to-back games following a two-game benching, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

An 18 at-bat hitless stretch led Bell to work on finding a consistent approach at the plate. "I just tried to keep my hands inside the ball," Bell explained. "That's my initial move. That's the most important thing. At times, I've gotten too big and too long with my stride." His two-homer showing follows a 263 plate-appearance stretch during which he hit only four home runs in 71 games. With just 10 dingers overall, Bell will look to make up for lost opportunities over the final three weeks.

Cron went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a walk in a win over the Orioles on Sunday.

Cron's first-inning two-bagger opened the scoring on the day by plating Tommy Pham. The 28-year-old continues to split time at first base with Jake Bauers and also log occasional starts at designated hitter, and he's opened September by hitting safely in three of his first four games. Cron has enjoyed a standout season on the power front, as his doubles (26), home runs (26) and slugging percentage (.487) are all career-best figures.

Abreu (abdomen) fielded groundballs and ran in the field prior to Sunday's game, Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Sunday's activity comes after Abreu took live batting practice Saturday, signalling the slugger is ready to return. "We are not trying to rush him,'' manager Rick Renteria said. "We want to make sure he feels really good about where he's at, and as soon as we are assured that he feels good and our guys in the medical staff feel good about, then we will proceed.'' Abreu could be in the starting lineup Monday against the Royals.

Calhoun went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a walk in Sunday's 1-0 win over Chicago.

Calhoun drove in a run during the seventh inning on a single to right field, plating the game's first and only tally. He's off to a slow start to September, hitting .174 with a home run over seven games, and he owns an uninspiring .223/.295/.394 slash line through 119 contests this season.

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's loss to New York.

Hoskins came through with a two-run blast over the fence in left field in the first inning, but the Phillies would cough up the lead in the fifth on the way to a loss in the series finale. The 25-year-old outfielder has been seeing the ball well over his previous three ballgames, going 5-for-12 with three home runs and four RBI. He'll look to finish the season strong after establishing a .251/.360/.499 slash line through 133 games in 2018.

Votto went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Padres.

In his last two games, Votto has two hits: a grand slam and a three-run shot. The veteran lefty has just 11 homers and 64 RBI this season but still owns an .843 OPS.

Abreu (abdomen) is expected to return to the lineup Monday, Phil Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Some reports suggested Abreu could return ahead of Sunday's contest, but it seems his return date has simply been pushed back a single day. Look for him to reclaim his starting spot at first base against the Royals on Monday.

Shaw is not in the lineup for Sunday's series finale at Milwaukee, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Shaw will head to the bench for the second straight game as he is 1-for-17 with 11 strikeouts since joining the Giants at the start of September. Gregor Blanco will lead off and start in left field on Sunday.

Abreu (abdomen) is not listed on the lineup card for Sunday's contest against the Angels, Brian Sandalow of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Earlier reports suggested that the All-Star first baseman could return for Sunday's series finale, but the White Sox will instead continue to slow-play his timetable. Abreu could still return ahead of Monday's game against the Royals, though his exact date is still a bit murky. Matt Davidson will continue to man first base until Abreu is back in action.