MLB Player News

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.

Flores went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Mariners.

All three hits were singles and none of them directly generated a run, but it was still a positive showing for Flores. He's hit safely in nine of his last 11 games, though that's a span that dates back to June 11. He's gotten in the lineup four times in the last six contests and could continue to pick up playing time with Thairo Estrada (hand) out for 4-6 weeks. Flores is slashing .266/.332/.457 with eight home runs, 24 RBI, 21 runs scored and nine doubles over 193 plate appearances this season.

O'Hearn went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Yankees.

After picking up his first MLB stolen base, O'Hearn gave the Orioles some breathing room in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run shot off Ian Hamilton, extending the lead to 6-3. The 29-year-old O'Hearn has hits in his last three games following an 0-for-16 stretch over his previous six contests. Overall, he's slashing a strong .294/.343/.524 with seven homers, 24 RBI, and 19 runs scored across 137 plate appearances this season. Despite his solid year, O'Hearn could soon lose playing time with Ryan Mountcastle (illness) nearing a return.

France (undisclosed) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in San Francisco, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

France has now missed three straight starts after being involved in a collision with the Rays' Isaac Paredes on Sunday, although the team's official site reports he did take batting practice prior to the game. The Mariners have not divulged what exact injury he's dealing with, but clearly he's still sore. Mike Ford will get another start at first base.

Milwaukee placed Tellez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right forearm inflammation.

This diagnosis might help to explain some of Tellez's recent struggles, as he has slashed just .136/.184/.173 over his last 87 plate appearances and hasn't homered since May 22. He'll be first eligible to return the Saturday after the All-Star break.