MLB Player News

Naylor (wrist) is playing first base and batting cleanup in his return to the Guardians' lineup Thursday against the Royals.

Naylor missed the last two games after tweaking his right wrist, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go in this one. He and his teammates will be going up against right-hander Jordan Lyles.

Goldschmidt isn't in the Cardinals' lineup Thursday against Miami, Bally Sports Midwest reports.

Goldschmidt will get a rare day off Thursday after beginning July with a .261/.308/.391 slash line through 26 plate appearances. Alec Burleson will fill in at first base and bat seventh.

Vaughn is not in the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Blue Jays.

It will be Gavin Sheets at first base against right-hander Jose Berrios. Vaughn is a strong bet to be in there for the nightcap versus lefty Yusei Kikuchi.

Noda is absent from the lineup Thursday due to a stomach illness, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Noda popped his ninth home run of the season during Wednesday's win over the Tigers but won't start Thursday's game in Detroit due to illness. It's possible he'll be available to pinch hit, with a return to the lineup in a day or two likely.

Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Reds.

Joey Meneses will start at first base and bat third versus the Reds and left-hander Brandon Williamson. Keibert Ruiz is serving as the Nationals' designated hitter while Riley Adams handles the catching duties. The left-handed-hitting Smith carries a .662 OPS through 338 total plate appearances this season.

Noda went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a win over the Tigers on Wednesday.

Noda's 397-foot shot to right field plated Jordan Diaz to cap off Oakland's three-run first inning and kick-start a prolific offensive day. The blast extended Noda's hitting streak to four games and marked his first time leaving the yard since June 21, but the 27-year-old continues to struggle with making consistent contact as indicated by his 36.4 percent strikeout rate over the last 11 contests.

Votto is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Nationals.

Votto has gone deep in back-to-back contests, but he'll take a seat versus left-hander MacKenzie Gore in this one. Kevin Newman is at first base and Tyler Stephenson will be the designated hitter while Luke Maile handles catching duties.

Votto went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over Washington.

Votto now has homers in back-to-back games following an 0-for-18 slump over his previous six contests. Wednesday's three-hit effort was his first since June 23. Votto will look to build on his solid performance, as he's had a slow start to the year following offseason rotator cuff surgery. The veteran first-baseman is slashing .205/.340/.545 with five homers, 11 RBI and eight runs scored through his first 53 plate appearances.

Walker went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Mets.

Walker has homered in back-to-back games since he snapped an 0-for-13 skid. The first baseman has also logged four of his five steals this season over his last 14 games, providing some surprising speed. On the year, he's slashing .270/.337/.521 with 18 long balls, 57 RBI, 46 runs scored and 25 doubles through 83 contests while serving in a near-everyday role.

Cron went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Astros.

Cron has hit well since returning from the injured list June 27, collecting nine hits across 25 at-bats. However, prior to going yard for his seventh homer of the season Wednesday, he had only one extra-base hit since being activated. While Cron's overall numbers have declined from recent seasons, he's striking out at only a 21.3 percent clip and also has a 15.6 percent barrel rate -- both of which suggest he could be in line for better results in the second half.