MLB Player News

Marlins second baseman Donovan Solano was supposed to get Saturday night off. Instead, he made a key contribution to his team's victory.

Solano entered when replacement Jeff Baker went down to injury. He all but put the finishing touches on the win with a two-round double in the eighth inning that stretched a two-run lead to 6-2.

The hit gave Solano just three RBI on the year.

The Reds scored just twice in a lopsided loss Saturday night to the White Sox. But don't blame Joey Votto.

The resurgent Cincinnati slugger slammed three of his team's six hits and drove in both of its runs with a two-run single in the third.

Votto boasts a fine slash line of .327/.424/.579, but hasn't homered since April 28 after blasting seven in his first 20 games.

Terry Collins said via the New York Post that Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores "has a lot on his plate." And it apparently has nothing to do with eating.

Pitchers, however, have been eating him up, which is why he's not in the lineup Saturday in Philadelphia.

Flores has just three hits in his last 28 at-bats as his average has dipped to .229, its lowest point since April 18.

Ryan Howard is not in the Phillies' lineup for Saturday's game. The first baseman will be rested for the fifth time this year. 

Replacing him at first is Darin Ruf, who started the last three games in left field. Ben Revere, who had been starting in right for the last three, switches back to left, where he started 19 games. Jeff Francoeur returns to right.  

Kris Negron makes his second start of the season at first base for the Reds in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Joey Votto is serving a one-game suspension, so Negron starts at first for the first time in eight games. He'll bat ninth in the order. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 2 for 5 at the plate with two RBI during Friday's 7-6 win over the Brewers.

Rizzo hit a solo home run in the fourth inning off Jimmy Nelson for his sixth home run of the season. Over his last 11 games, Rizzo is 14 for 42 with four home runs and 10 RBI. He is now batting .330 on the season

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 2 for 4 with an RBI in Friday night's 9-2 loss to the Nationals. 

Freeman hit two doubles, giving him 13 for the season. Freeman has recorded a hit in five consecutive games and has posted two doubles in back-to-back games. 

In his career, Freeman has hit the Nationals well, posting a career .337 batting average against them entering Friday's game. He was the only member of the Braves to record more than one hit Friday night. 

Freeman's 2015 slash line is now .324/.380/.577. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard belted his sixth home run of the season to help lead the Phillies to a 3-1 victory over the Mets on Friday.

Howard connected off pitcher Matt Harvey in the fourth inning for the solo home run. He finished the game 2 for 3 with two RBI and one walk. Over his last four games, Howard has gone 8 for 15 with two home runs and five RBI.

"The contact, the quality of the at-bats, laying off pitches, taking some walks," manager Ryan Sandberg said about Howard's turnaround, per MLB.com. "Howie looks like he's gained a lot of confidence. That goes with the quality at-bats he's had."

Major League Baseball has suspended Reds first baseman Joey Votto for one game after he bumped an empire on Wednesday, the team announced. 

Votto will serve the suspension Friday night against the White Sox. 

Following a swinging strikeout, Votto threw his helmet on the ground and was yelling at either himself or umpire Chris Conroy. Conroy then ejected him, though Votto didn't initially notice. He grabbed his glove and went to first base for the following half-inning. 

When Votto was notified of his ejection, he ran in a full sprint at Conroy, made contact and became irate. That's what triggered the one-game suspension. 

Votto is hitting .311/.413/.573 with seven home runs this season. 

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt connected on his eighth home run of the season during Thursday's 11-0 win over the Rockies.

Goldschmidt hit the solo home run in the third inning off pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne. He finished the game 2 for 4 at the plate with two RBI. During the last nine games, Goldschmidt has 19 hits in 41 at-bats with three home runs and 10 RBI.