MLB Player News

Braves outfielder Freddie Freeman is unavailable Sunday with a thumb injury, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Freeman has the thumb in a soft splint. The winner of the National League's final vote is now questionable for Tuesday's All-Star game, so there's a good chance he returns for the Braves shortly after the All-Star break.

Freddie Freeman knocked in four of the Braves' six runs in the club's victory Thursday over Cincinnati.

Freeman finished 3 for 4 with two singles and a double to go with the four RBI. Freeman has now reached base in 16 consecutive games and is hitting .328/.453/.557 with nine extra-base hits and 13 walks over that span. Freeman is hitting .313/.392/.477 on the season.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo had a big impact Thursday against the Cardinals, as he drove in each of the team's runs in a 3-0 win.

Rizzo did all of his damage in the first three innings, as he drove in one run with an RBI double in the first inning, then brought two more around with a single in the third. He finished the game 2 for 3 with the three RBI, while walking once.

Rizzo is hitting just .189 in the month of July, though he does have six RBI in his last five games. 

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was named to the National League All-Star roster Thursday, as he won the Final Vote for the last spot on the team.

Freeman beat out Yasiel Puig, Hunter Pence, Ian Desmond and Adrian Gonzalez for the roster spot. He is hitting .307 with an .858 OPS in 300 at-bats. He received 19.7 million votes. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is expected to be back this season after undergoing surgery Wednesday for a debridement of his left medial meniscus. According to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Howard's knee was in better shape than expected, which could change the team's outlook.

"After [Phillies physician Michael] Ciccotti went in there and went in with the scope, it was a little better picture than we thought," Amaro said. "I think the player is feeling better about it, we're feeling better about it. As news goes, this is as good as we can get."

The Phillies have yet to decide whether they will be sellers at the trade deadline, and the fact that Howard could return earlier than initially expected might change their plans. His official timeline is six to eight weeks.

"There's a reasonable chance we'll have him back at some point. We still have a lot of question marks about where we're going to go in the next couple of weeks," Amaro said. "Right now, the team is making decisions a little harder on me, which is fine and which is good. I'd rather be in this situation than thinking about 2014 right now."

Howard was hitting .266 with a .784 OPS prior to his injury. 

The Phillies announced first baseman Ryan Howard had successful knee surgery Wednesday morning. He is expected to need 6-8 weeks to recover.

Cubs outfielder Anthony Rizzo ended his home run drought at 13 games with a solo blast Tuesday against the Angels. Rizzo also ended his multi-hit slump at seven games.

Rizzo has had a tough start to July, batting .133 (4 for 30) in eight games. Though, it comes on the heels of a rough run in June as well. Rizzo hit .231 (21 for 91) with two home runs and 12 RBI in 26 June games.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto thought he put his team ahead in the top of the ninth inning Monday against the Brewers with a two-run homer, but Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez had other ideas. Gomez robbed Votto of a potential game-winning home run, sealing a 4-3 win for Milwaukee.

"I was pretty surprised," Votto said, per MLB.com. "I thought off the bat it was going to be a non-catch. He went up and made a pretty big play in the game. It was my first experience with that. It was kind of a random way to end the game."

Votto did have a single and walk Monday against the Brewers. He is batting .338 (26 for 77) with four doubles, four home runs, seven RBI, nine runs and 10 walks in his last 20 games.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will miss 6-8 weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Howard was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with knee inflammation. He was supposed to have an MRI Sunday or Monday. Howard is hitting .266/.319/.465 in 286 at-bats. 

The Phillies have not ruled out surgery for Ryan Howard, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday due to chronic knee inflammation.

Howard is scheduled to undergo an MRI Sunday or Monday, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. The Phillies aren't expected to make a decision until his MRI results return.

"If he needs surgery, we'll take care of it," Amaro said. "If he doesn't, we'll rehab him and try to get him back."