MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 1 for 4 and hit his first home run of spring training ni Friday's 6-5 loss to the Pirates.

Howard entered the game just 6 for 30 with two doubles, three walks and 13 strikeouts, and while he did send his first ball over the outfield fence, he also struck out two more times. He has had trouble staying on the field the last two seasons.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is working on hitting to the opposite field, and thus far the results have been positive.

Entering Tuesday's spring game against the Braves, Howard has put the ball in play 13 times this spring. Nine times he hit to left or center field, per MLB.com. Only four times -- 30.8 percent -- has he pulled the baseball. Last year, according to Baseball-Reference.com, he pulled the baseball 40.3 percent of the time.

"I've never been a pull hitter. But my biggest problem was trying to pull the ball. Now I'm trying to work back to what my strength is," Howard said. "I'm trying to work the middle of the field. That's the goal. It's all about timing. It's all about rhythm."

It seems getting back to what Howard did best in the past could help him revive his career.

"He's much better when he uses the whole field," a longtime NL scout said. "When he came up, he was very good at going the other way. And it's really what made him into a top-flight player. Then he got very pull-happy. First, it makes him much easier to defend. And, secondly, it's affected his mindset. So he's getting back to his roots, basically. When he first came up, that's what he did a lot. He's getting back to that, which is good for him, and obviously good for the team."

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will get the start at shortstop Tuesday, according to ESPN.

Flores hasn't played the position since 2011, but the team wants to give him a shot during camp. While there's a chance he could displace Ruben Tejada at the position, Flores will likely begin the year in the minors. Flores has played short in the late innings during the spring, but this will be his first start at the position.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt returned to action as a designated hitter on Saturday against the Angels.

Goldschmidt, who had been dealing with leg tightness, doubled in a run in the third inning for his only hit of the day. He finished 1 for 4 in a 5-2 win. He is hitting .238/.360/.333 with four RBI over his first 21 at-bats.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt should be ready to play Saturday, according to azcentral.com.

Goldschmidt has been dealing with leg tightness. He did not play Thursday, and is not in the lineup for Friday's game due to the issue. Manager Kirk Gibson said Goldschmidt would return to the lineup Saturday.

Goldschmidt hit .302/.401/.551 in 602 at-bats last year.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores is expected to start at short soon, according to ESPN.

Flores hasn't played the position in a game since 2011. The team is looking for a way to get him into the lineup, and have been open to him moving to short again. Flores hit .211 in 95 at-bats last year.

Reds slugger Joey Votto answered critics who have complained he wasn't aggressive enough at the plate in 2013, stating that he will not change his approach.

"If I wasn't producing and having a satisfying result in my overall game I could understand the complants," he told Fox Sports. "I think I had a successful year, despite the lack of one number (RBI). I like getting lost in an at-bat and getting the most out of every at-bat."

The result of that approach was a .305 average, 24 home runs and 73 RBI. He led the league with 135 walks and .435 on-base percentage.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard's struggles against left-handed pitchers has been well-chronicled. However, during an intrasquad game Tuesday, he proved he had no problems hitting left-handed pitching.

Howard singled off top pitching prospect Jesse Biddle in his first at-bat and then homered off Cesar Jimenez in his second at-bat.

"He's approached me about seeing left-handed pitching," manager Ryne Sandberg said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. "If he makes the left-handers throw strikes, in my opinion he can hit balls in the strike zone."

Howard fared pretty well against lefties during spring training last year, batting .400 with three doubles and three home runs in 30 at-bats. However, he struggled during the regular season, batting .173 with three doubles and three home runs in 87 plate appearances against lefties.

Braves outfielder/first baseman Joey Terdoslavich has been getting some work at catcher this spring, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Terdoslavich didn't do much in his Braves debut last season, hitting .215/.315/.266 in 79 at-bats, but he enjoyed a banner season at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .318/.359/.567 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI in 321 at-bats. He doesn't have any game experience at catcher in either the minor or major leagues.

Mets manager Terry Collins reiterated Sunday he intends to get infielder Wilmer Flores playing time at shortstop this spring.

"First of all, I tip my hat to him. He's got a whole different body right now than he did at the end of the season," Collins said about Flores, per ESPN. "He went to the [fitness and nutrition] camp in Michigan. He looks tremendous. He came in lighter. He came in more athletic. I'm going to let him play some shortstop, but I want to see him at second. I want to see him at third."

While his defense remains a work in progress, Flores has proven he can get the job done at the plate and his offensive skills could help him land a spot on the roster this spring.

"The bat potential is off the charts," Collins said. "Everybody talks about what a big RBI guy he is, what he's going to be. Somebody told me yesterday they've watched him in winter ball for a few years and he reminds them of Fonzie [Edgardo Alfonzo]. That is a big statement. And I don't like to compare guys. But that is a big statement, because Edgardo was an outstanding offensive player. And if that's what Wilmer Flores is going to be, obviously you have to find a position for him to play."