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Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto was not in the team’s lineup Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a neck injury, but he has since returned to action.

Continue below for updates:

Votto Returns vs. Cardinals

Saturday, Sept. 3

The Reds announced Votto is batting third and playing first base against St. Louis.

Votto Has Performed Well for Struggling Reds

Votto has been one of the hottest players in the majors despite a miserable start to his 2016 season. Entering the All-Star break, he was hitting just .252, which was on pace for a career-worst mark. 

But since July 15, he’s been red hot, raising his averaging to .309 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI through Friday. ESPN Stats & Info tracked his play through Aug. 23:

Votto has been able to avoid major injuries since he missed 100 games in 2014 with a quadriceps injury.

When healthy, he’s Cincinnati’s most productive bat. Last year was the sixth time in his career that he hit more than 20 home runs and the fourth time he led the league in walks. 

His bat wasn’t enough for a Reds team that was one of the worst in baseball with a 64-98 record in 2015, which was their worst season since a 62-win 1949. This season hasn’t gone much better, as the Reds are 57-77 while sitting 29.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.

There was even more pressure for Votto to produce in 2016 after the Reds dealt Todd Frazier (35 home runs last year) to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason. 

The Reds are already on the wrong side of one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and losing Votto for any amount of time would only have made things worse. Thankfully, they’ll have him back for the stretch run as they try to gain some momentum heading into next season. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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The Boston Red Sox will recall their top prospect, second baseman Yoan Moncada, from Double-A on Friday, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal on Wednesday. 

The 21-year-old isn’t just the Red Sox’s No. 1 prospect, but he was also rated as the top minor leaguer by MLB.com. 

He agreed to a minor league deal with the Red Sox in February 2015 worth $31.5 million, per MLB.com. 

Viewed as a multitool player with power, speed and above-average fielding ability, MLB.com expected huge things from the Cuban:

Few middle infielders can match Moncada’s huge offensive ceiling, which earns him comparisons to Robinson Cano with more speed. He’s a switch-hitter with outstanding bat speed who makes consistent hard contact from both sides of the plate. Moncada doesn’t have much loft in his swing, which could cap his home run production at 15 annually, though he has the potential for 20-25 per season if he alters his approach.

He exhibited that power at the Futures Game during All-Star weekend, via MLB Network:

In 106 games in the minor leagues this season, Moncada has lived up to the billing, batting .294 with 15 home runs, 62 RBI and 45 stolen bases. 

He’s also displayed solid composure at the plate, with 72 walks contributing to his .407 on-base percentage. 

These kinds of intangibles can provide a huge boost for the Red Sox, who are fighting for their playoff lives heading into September. 

While they hold a two-game lead for the top American League wild-card spot, they are just two games behind the AL East division-leading Toronto Blue Jays. 

Red Sox manager John Farrell told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that there is a possibility Moncada could see a lot of time at third base given the lack of production from Travis Shaw and Aaron Hill:

We’ve talked about Yoan, and not just as a pinch-runner. That’s an exciting young player, an extremely talented guy, there’s all positive reviews and evaluations of him. When that major league experience will initiate, time will tell that, but in terms of playing the position of third base, yes, that conversation has been had.

The combination of Shaw (.248 batting average) and Hill (.194) is a glaring weak spot in a powerful Boston lineup featuring David Ortiz, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts. 

Bringing in a fresh face with so much promise like Moncada can invigorate the clubhouse for the stretch run of the regular season and, more importantly, make the Red Sox an even more dangerous team. 

Stats courtesy of MLB.com.

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New York Yankees rookie Gary Sanchez became the third-fastest player in Major League Baseball history to hit 10 career home runs with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning during Friday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.

With the Yankees already leading 10-1, Sanchez took a 1-0 pitch from Vance Worley and deposited it into the left field seats:

It was the rookie’s 84th plate appearance of the season and 86th of his career.

Friday night was also just his 20th big league game of the season and 22nd of his career. Sanchez did play one game with the Yankees on May 13, but they demoted him to Triple-A shortly afterward. He rejoined the club in early August and has since served as the everyday catcher in New York.

Per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, only George Scott of the Boston Red Sox (1966) and Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies (this season) hit their first 10 home runs faster. 

Scott didn’t amount to a Babe Ruth-like power hitter, though. In his 14-year career with four different teams, he hit 271 home runs while recording over 20 in just five of those seasons. In two of them, he recorded over 30, including his league-leading 36-homer campaign for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1975.

There are still plenty of at-bats and seasons left before the jury is out on Sanchez and Story.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Sanchez also became the first rookie since 1920 to have 10 home runs and 20 RBI in the first 20 games of a season Friday. 

His 10 dingers in 20 games are tied for the third-highest season-starting total in Yankees history, per SportsCenter:

With New York 5.5 games back in the American League East and 3.5 games out of the second wild-card spot, there might not be postseason baseball at Yankee Stadium this year. But with a rising star like Sanchez, there is something special brewing in the Bronx. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Moore fell one out short of throwing the first no-hitter of his career against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Moore gave up a single to shortstop Corey Seager and was immediately pulled from the game, likely due to his high pitch count. Santiago Casilla recorded the final out to seal the Giants’ 4-0 win.

In 8.2 innings, Moore struck out seven batters and walked three on 133 pitches. It was the most pitches a starter has thrown in a game this season, per the Dodgers’ telecast.

In the eighth inning, concerns over whether Moore would be able to go the distance were growing.

He surpassed his season high of 114 pitches in the frame, and by the time Joc Pederson lined out to Denard Span to end the inning, Moore was up to 119 pitches. His previous career high was 120 in 2013. 

But he batted in the bottom of the eighth, which signaled he’d be back on the mound for the ninth inning.

Moore and manager Bruce Bochy discussed the game plan, per CSN Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic:

Enrique Hernandez made a bid to end the no-hitter, rocketing a line drive to center field to lead off the ninth, but Span made a sliding catch to record the first out.

After going to a 3-2 count against Howie Kendrick, Moore got him to ground out to third base. 

On his bobblehead night, it all came down to Seager to prevent Moore from making history. On the 133rd pitch of Moore’s outing, Seager fisted a blooper over second baseman Joe Panik’s head to spoil the evening. 

While Moore’s wait to achieve one of the greatest feats a major league pitcher can attain will continue, he didn’t seem too broken up about it after the game, per Pavlovic:

Even the Dodgers appreciated Moore’s performance:

Moore was making just his fifth start with the Giants since the Tampa Bay Rays, the team with which he spent the first five seasons of his career, dealt him ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline.

Only once in his career had Moore gone seven innings or more while allowing only one hit. That came in 2012, his second year in the majors, against the Miami Marlins.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Tillman has been dealing with discomfort in his throwing shoulder that has forced him to the disabled list. It is unclear when he will be able to return.

Continue for updates.

Showalter Comments Tillman’s Recovery

Saturday, Aug. 27

MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli noted that Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, “Tillman probably won’t need a rehab start.”

Tillman Hits DL

Wednesday, Aug. 24

The Orioles announced they placed Tillman on the 15-day DL retroactive to Aug. 21 with right shoulder bursitis.

Tillman Comments on Injury

Tuesday, Aug. 23

Tillman discussed his current malady, per MASN:

Injury-Plagued Tillman Remains Orioles’ Best Starter

The same shoulder forced Tillman to miss a start Aug. 17. His last start was pushed back to Aug. 20 in order to give him eight days’ rest.

It didn’t do him any good, as BrooksBaseball.net (h/t the Baltimore Sun‘s Eduardo A. Encina) indicated his four-seam fastball averaged 91.52 miles per hour—his lowest mark of the season—and he allowed six earned runs on six hits while walking five in just two innings.

However, Tillman revealed after the difficult start that there were no problems with the shoulder.

It was an uncharacteristic start from him, though, as Tillman has been the best starting arm in an Orioles rotation that has not been good this season.

At 15-5 with a 3.76 ERA, Tillman was the only Baltimore pitcher prior to his injury with more than 10 starts who has more than five wins with an ERA lower than 4.11.

If Tillman is to miss an extended period of time, it’s not going to bode well for the Orioles’ postseason chances.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood has run into problems with his back once again and is facing another extended absence. 

Continue for updates.

Chatwood Headed for the Disabled List Again

Tuesday, Aug. 16

According to Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post, Chatwood has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mid-back strain.

He initially felt the injury during the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, per Kosmider, but he stayed on the mound until being pulled in the fourth inning after he was tagged for six runs. 

Chatwood originally hit the DL on June 19 with the same kind of injury and was out until July 5. It could provide an explanation as to why he’s suffered such a drastic drop in performance despite his 10-8 record and 3.75 ERA this season. 

Before his first stint on the DL, he began the year at 8-4 with a 2.89 ERA as Colorado’s most reliable starter. 

In the eight starts since his return, the 26-year-old went 2-4 while allowing four or more earned runs in four of them. 

“We figured he was going to need some time, so you do the math, and it’s worth putting him on the disabled list,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss told Kosmider. 

Entering Tuesday night at 56-63, 10.5 games out of the National League West division lead, there’s no reason why the Rockies should keep Chatwood in the rotation.

For a team well outside the postseason picture, it’s better to keep a potential ace healthy while looking forward to next season.

In the meantime, the Rockies recalled right-handed pitcher Christian Bergman from Triple-A Albuquerque, per Kosmider. 

Bergman has appeared in nine games with Colorado this season, starting one. He’s compiled a 1-3 record with a 5.89 ERA. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale announced on Wednesday that outfielder David Peralta will undergo season-ending surgery on Thursday to repair a wrist injury that he suffered last Friday when running into an outfield wall, via Fox Sports Arizona:

Continue for updates.

Peralta’s Frustrating Season Comes to an Early End

Wednesday, Aug. 10

Peralta had battled a wrist issue earlier this season that caused him to miss almost four weeks of action. 

The 28-year-old was in just his third major league season, all with the Diamondbacks, as he was set to build off a stellar sophomore campaign. 

In 2015, Peralta looked as though he would become a vital part of Arizona’s outfield, batting .312 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI while leading the league with 10 triples. 

But in 2016, he appeared in just 48 games, hitting .251 with four home runs and 15 RBI. Not only did he miss time due to the wrist, but he missed 36 games from June 15 to July 28 due to a lower back sprain.

He spoke with the media about the latest injury and his frequent trips to the disabled list, via Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com:

It’s part of the game. Being on the DL three times, it’s tough being on the bench and watching these guys play and not feel like I can do anything to help the team. … 

It hit the wall and it started to get tight. We had to do something. … 

There’s a ligament here in my wrist. I don’t know how to explain it. The doctors talk their language, you know? But he explained there’s a ligament here and when I dove, I guess the ligament moved and it was loose.

Socrates Brito was recalled from Triple-A and will continue starting in right field for the Diamondbacks now that Peralta is done for the season. 

The 23-year-old Brito is the Diamondbacks’ second-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and this is now a great opportunity for him to get some major league playing time. 

Arizona is 47-66 and hasn’t been in the playoff picture for quite some time. Because there’s no reason to rush Peralta back into a non-contending situation, Brito can gain some experience at the top level without any pressure and continue developing into a future asset the Diamondbacks can use to build a contender around. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will be unable to make his next scheduled start. 

Continue for updates.

Wright Scratched from Next Start

Wednesday, Aug. 10

According to Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald, Wright suffered the injury while pinch running on Sunday. An MRI showed no structural damage, but he has been removed from his next start, which was set to come on Thursday against the New York Yankees. 

According to Drellich, Wright is the only American League pitcher to pinch run in a game this season.

The 31-year-old knuckleballer is experiencing the best campaign of his four-year career in 2016. Having never won more than five games in a season, Wright has compiled a 13-5 record in 22 starts this year while garnering his first All-Star selection. 

He leads the majors with four complete games, and his 3.01 ERA is the best of any Red Sox pitcher who has started more than 10 games. 

In his most recent start on Aug. 5, Wright threw his first career shutout against the Dodgers in which he went the distance while striking out nine:

Drellich noted that Eduardo Rodriguez will start for Wright on Thursday, and Clay Buchholz will be slotted into the open spot of the rotation left by Wright. But both of those arms haven’t provided anything like Wright’s contributions this year. 

Rodriguez is 2-5 this season with a 5.93 ERA, while Buchholz is 4-9 with a 5.68 ERA and making a return to the starting rotation after being demoted to the bullpen. 

With David Price, the Red Sox’s assumed ace entering 2016, struggling, Boston will have to rely on the 15-3 Rick Porcello to continue performing at a high level. 

But if Wright is to miss a considerable amount of time, Boston’s hopes of outlasting the big bats of the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles in the American League East could take a big hit. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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New York Yankees fading star Alex Rodriguez might be in his final week as a major league ballplayer, but he won’t be getting much of a chance to say goodbye on the field.

After it was announced Sunday that Rodriguez would be released Friday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told the media Tuesday the 41-year-old will not be playing in the first two games of New York’s series against the Boston Red Sox, per ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand.

Rodriguez spoke with the media shortly after learning about his playing schedule, per Marchand: “I’m disappointed. When I heard him say I can actually play in all four games, I was really excited to get some at-bats. I don’t know what happened.”

He was referring to Girardi‘s comments during Sunday’s announcement in which he stated that if the veteran “wants to play in every game, I’ll find a way.”

The New York manager recanted those statements Tuesday, saying he got caught up in the emotional moment.

Instead, Rodriguez will play Thursday night against Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright and Friday, the supposed final game of his career, against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.

But he wasn’t sure if it is going to be the end when asked about it Tuesday: “I don’t know that answer right now.”

He hasn’t started a game since July 31 and has had only one at-bat in August.

With what looks like two more games remaining in a controversial yet Hall of Fame-worthy career numberswise, Rodriguez is four home runs short of 700, as his days as a player look destined to be coming to an unceremonious end.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Tuesday they have purchased right-handed pitcher Alex Reyes from the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. 

He is taking up the spot left by starting pitcher Michael Wacha, who went on the 15-day disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. 

Reyes has made 14 appearances this season in Triple-A, where he went 2-3 with a 4.96 ERA, via MiLB.com. 

Despite those numbers, the 21-year-old was still ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 9 player in the entire minor leagues by MLB Pipeline after going undrafted out of Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 2012. 

MLB Pipeline broke down what the 6’3″ Reyes can bring to the Cardinals rotation:

The big right-hander has serious swing-and-miss stuff, with a fastball that touches the mid-90s consistently and can hit triple digits to complement a devastating power curveball. Unlike some young pitchers, Reyes is willing to throw his changeup and understands the value of having it to make his two plus offerings better. Though it’s behind the other two, it should be Major League average in time.  

However, he has run into some off-field issues, as he was hit with a 50-day suspension in November 2015 due to a second failed test for recreational drugs, which forced him to sit until May 22. 

To Reyes, that time off didn’t affect him when he spoke with Joe Paisley of the Gazette: “I don’t believe it has slowed my progress at all. I am doing my best to learn everything I can. There are a lot of hitters with major league experience so this is a real step up from Double-A. I have gone deeper and deeper into games. I feel good about my progress but know I have more to learn.”

The Cardinals will be hoping that Reyes can live up to the hype, but it will be from out of the bullpen, according to David Wilhelm of the Belleville News-Democrat. 

It would be somewhat of a surprising move if that were to happen. The Cardinals’ starting five of Wacha, Adam Wainwright, Mike Leake, Jaime Garcia and Carlos Martinez had remained relatively untouched all season. Each pitcher had started over 20 games, with just one other pitcher, Mike Mayers, starting a single game. So there hasn’t been a regular No. 6 starter at all this year. 

Entering Tuesday night 11 games behind the Chicago Cubs, the National League Central crown looks lost, but the Cardinals’ playoff hopes aren’t. The NL wild-card race is still wide-open, as they are tied for the final spot with the Miami Marlins, who are four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

If Reyes is able to bring some plus stuff to the Cardinals out of the bullpen, they could gain some momentum the deeper they get into August. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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