MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who is a month removed from knee surgery, has reported to the team's spring complex in Florida. However, he hasn't been cleared to hit.

General Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday Howard wouldn't return until 100 percent healthy.

Mets rookie third baseman Wilmer Flores started at third base and hit sixth in his MLB debut Tuesday against the Rockies. Tuesday also happened to be Flores' 22nd birthday.

Mets manager Terry Collins said he hopes to play Flores every day while David Wright (hamstring) is sidelined.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel suggested to the Philadelphia Daily News it might be beneficial for first baseman Ryan Howard, who is recovering from July knee surgery, to sit out the rest of the season.

"If he's not 100 percent healthy when he comes back," Manuel said Sunday, "it'll defeat the purpose of what we're trying to do. 

"I'd say there's a 50/50 chance he'll be back by late September. That's what I would say. I'm not saying he will be back this year or that he won't be back, but if he's going to play, it'd be mid-September [at best]. But even if he doesn't play, as long as he's healthy -- I think it's about getting him healthy first, and then if he's healthy, getting him in top-notch shape, that's second."

The Mets officially promoted third baseman Wilmer Flores from Triple-A Las Vegas Monday. He has had a great year at Triple-A with a .322 batting average, 15 homers and 86 RBI over 106 games. 

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman recorded three hits and two RBI on Monday during a win at Washington.

Freeman went 3 for 4 in the game. He singled to right in the third inning to score a run and added a second RBI on his single to center in the fifth frame. He now has 75 RBI on the year and is batting .311.

Freeman has at least one base hit in nine straight games and has driven home 10 runs over that stretch.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will hit for average in the majors. Of this, I'm fairly certain. He has made consistent contact throughout his minor-league career, and it's not like he's just slapping at the ball. How much power he'll provide, though, particularly at age 22, remains to be seen.

Granted, his 15 homers and 35 doubles so far at Triple-A are nothing to sneeze at, but he's playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League -- and at Las Vegas, no less. Any prospect worth his salt should put up those kinds of numbers there.

But again, he's not slapping at the ball. I'm not saying Flores is destined to become another Placido Polanco or anything. But if he does come up to fill in for an injured David Wright at third base, as speculated, you might want to give him a chance to show what he can do before claiming him off the waiver wire. Though a definite prospect, he's not on the level of, say, Christian Yelich, so I don't anticipate a mad rush to pick him up.

In the long run, I think he's a better Fantasy contributor than Cody Asche, if that gives you some perspective.

A source told the New York Post there is a good chance Mets infield prospect Wilmer Flores will be called up in the next week to fill in at third base for the injured David Wright (hamstring). However, Flores isn't expected to be promoted Tuesday.

Flores is batting .322 with a .532 slugging percentage, .890 OPS, four triples, 15 home runs, 35 doubles and 86 RBI in 106 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. Flores is considered the Mets' fourth-best prospect by MLB.com.

Mets vice president of player development Paul DePodesta wrote in an email to ESPN the roster need for other positions if what's keeping infield prospect Wilmer Flores at Triple-A Las Vegas. Flores is batting .322 with a .526 slugging percentage and .883 OPS in 105 games for Las Vegas.

"He hasn't come up because the major-league infield is full," DePodesta wrote. "[David] Wright and [Daniel] Murph[y] have been healthy until last night, and we have three other guys who could use ABs at first base."

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo continued to swing a hot bat as he homered twice Thursday night against the Dodgers.

Rizzo took Ricky Nolasco deep for a solo home run in the opening frame and launched another solo shot in the eighth inning. He finished 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI in a 6-4 defeat.

Rizzo has three homers over his last two games. He has a .245/.339/.458 slash line with 17 homers and 62 RBI in 404 at-bats.

Marlins second baseman Donovan Solano chased Mets' All-Star Matt Harvey from Thursday's game in the sixth inning with a two-out, two-RBI single. It was just Solano's second multi-RBI game this season -- both coming in his last eight games.

Solano is batting .294 (10 for 34) with one double, one home run and eight RBI in his last 10 games.