MLB Player News

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter hit another home run Tuesday against the Athletics.

Carter stepped to the plate with two men on in the bottom of the eighth. With his team trailing by a run, Carter smashed a 90 mph fastball out to left for a three-run homer. It was Carter's 32nd home run of the year. Carter finished 1 for 4, with one run scored and three RBI. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was removed from Tuesday's game due to lower back tightness, the team announced.

The injury is expected to be minor. Rizzo went 1 for 4 and hit a solo home run in the game. He owns a .278/.375/.514 line with 30 home runs and 71 RBI in 486 at-bats.

A CT scan Tuesday confirmed that Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will not need surgery on his fractured left hand, FOXSportsArizona.com reports.

Goldschmidt is roughly two-to-three weeks away from beginning strengthening work on the hand, and while he's expected to miss the rest of the season, he should be 100 percent by spring training.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto has begun baseball activities in recent days, he told the Cincinnati Enquirer Tuesday.

Votto, who has been sidelined since early July, due to a quad injury, has been taking dry swings and throwing, the first activities he has done since suffering the injury. Prior to this, he has been limited solely to strength exercises in the quad, though at this point it is not clear whether he has a timetable to return.  

Nationals infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is back in the lineup Tuesday against the Phillies, after sitting out one game with an injury to his side. He is batting second and starting at second base for Tuesday's game. 

Astros first baseman Chris Carter belted his 31st home run Monday against the Athletics. 

Carter struck in the bottom of the eighth. With a man on, Carter belted a 96 mph fastball out to right for the two-run shot. It was Carter's only hit of the game. He finished 1 for 4, with one run scored and two RBI. 

Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera was held out of the starting lineup Monday against Philadelphia, according to Comcast SportsNet  Washington. Cabrera injured his side muscle swinging on Sunday. He owns a .249/.315/.396 slash line with 11 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 450 at-bats.

Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera is day-to-day due to soreness in his right side, masnsports.com reports.

Cabrera went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI double in Sunday's game before coming out. He has hit .249/.315/.396 with 11 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 450 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 1 for 2 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals Saturday.

Howard hadn't homered in more than two weeks before coming through with his sixth-inning shot Saturday. He has hit .223/.308/.380 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI in 466 at-bats.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto responded to comments that he's not tough enough to play, according to MLB.com.

Votto stressed that he's dealing with a serious injury, and tried to play through the pain earlier in the season. He reiterated that he didn't ask to be injured, and would return as soon as he's healthy.

"The second I’m capable of playing and I’m no longer injured, I’ll be back on the field," Votto said. "In the meantime, you can assume I’m injured. I shouldn’t get some sort of different treatment, as if this is — I’ve noticed little comments here and there and just a general perception that this is something I elected to do. I didn’t elect to be injured. I am injured. People get injured. I am injured. What can I do? At some point I’ll be back playing like I was playing before."

Votto has been sidelined since July 5 with a quad injury. He's hit .255/.390/.409 over 220 at-bats.