MLB Player News

Joseph is batting cleanup for Friday's contest with the Nationals, Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Joseph has been on an absolute tear as of late, posting a 1.318 OPS over the past seven games thanks to two homers and three doubles in that span. Due to this, manager Pete Mackanin will reward him by moving him up from his normal spot in the six-hole, which could help Joseph to drive in more runs if he keeps up his torrid run at the plate.

Votto went 1-for-3 with two RBI from a single and a groundout in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Giants.

The slugging first baseman extended his hitting streak to five games and has also reached base safely in 15 straight contests overall. He's racked up a .407 average and 14 RBI over the first 10 games of May as well, propelling his team-leading total in the latter category to 33, which also ranks second in the majors. Votto has impressively lowered his strikeout rate from 17.7 percent to 11.6 percent this season, with his contact rate seeing a corresponding boost to a career-best 85 percent. Moreover, he's accomplished his aforementioned excellent production with a .267 BABIP that is over 100 points lower than the .373 figure he'd generated the prior two seasons.

Cron (foot) went 2-for-4 in a rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, his first action since taking a pitch to the wrist Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Cron played all nine innings at first base, a firm indication he's fit to resume everyday baseball activities. The 27-year-old says his bruised foot has completely healed, but the Angels are unsure of how many at-bats they want him to get in the minors. Luis Valbuena and Jefry Marte have been filling in as a platoon at first base, so there's no pressing need to have Cron back in the lineup right away.

Bell is out of the lineup Thursday night against the Diamondbacks.

Bell has gone four consecutive games without collecting a hit. His recent troubles at the plate have dropped his batting average from .258 to .236 over that brief span. He'll get the night off while John Jaso fills in at first base.

O'Hearn said he gained a lot of confidence from his production last season, as well as getting the chance to join the Royals in spring training for a while this year, Tony Boone of the Omaha World-Herald reports.

The first baseman is slashing .262/.325/.486 with six home runs and 14 RBI through his first 28 games at the Triple-A level. With Eric Hosmer widely thought to be on his way out (whether via trade or free agency), O'Hearn is not far from making his MLB debut. "You know it's there. It's been there," O'Hearn said. "Everybody knows Hosmer is going to be a free agent, and we don't know if he's going to be a Royal anymore or not. It's really out of my control. All I can do is play every day here, play as hard as I can and try to continue to get better and progress." The 23-year-old admitted he could use some work to improve his defensive, but didn't hesitate in adding that he feels ready to compete at the MLB level.

Mountcastle is crushing pitchers to the tune of a .305/.338/.542 slash line with seven home runs, 23 RBI and 22 runs through 33 games with High-A Frederick.

Mountcastle, the O's first-round pick in 2015, is well on his way to MiLB's higher levels. His home run, RBI and run totals are all good for top-five marks in the Carolina League, while the shortstop's 40 hits ranks first. Mountcastle is still working out defensive kinks -- he made 21 errors at short in 2016 -- and where he fits defensively is still up in the air. But one thing's for sure; the 20-year-old can swing it, and Mountcastle is deserving of a spot across most dynasty leagues that reserve slots for minor league players.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Tigers.

Goldschmidt's plate discipline has been a strength for years, but he's raised the bar in 2017 with an astounding 24:29 K:BB through 152 plate appearances. His ability to rack up walks will give him even more appeal in leagues where on-base percentage is a category, but even in more traditional formats, Goldschmidt will still be an above-average asset in all five categories.

Freeman went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Astros.

The blast was his 12th of the season. Freeman's batting average has started to tumble a little, as he has just five hits in his last 26 at-bats, but three of them have left the yard, giving him a still-dizzying .336/.457/.743 slash line on the season. With his walk rate at a career high (16.7 percent), strikeout rate at a career low (18.8 percent) and his .347 BABIP falling well within his normal range, there's no reason to think a big regression is coming for Freeman.

Flores went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's loss to the Giants.

He now has seven hits in his last three games, adding nearly 80 points to his batting average in the process. It's hard to see where the 25-year-old fits into the starting lineup once Asdrubal Cabrera (thumb) is healthy, but Mets manager Terry Collins may try to find a way to get Flores consistent at-bats while he's hot.

Bour went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and two walks during Wednesday's loss to St. Louis.

It was the fifth home run of the season for Bour, and he's also now up to a respectable 21 RBI. However, after posting a .478 slugging percentage over the past two seasons, his current .396 mark stands out. There is ample power upside, and Bour should have some statistical correction ahead. This is a potential buy-low spot for the first baseman.