MLB Player News

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores hit a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Cubs. 

Flores went deep with a solo shot in the fourth inning, his fifth of the season, driving in his eleventh run.

After a 1-for-4 day, Flores is hitting .238. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit his seventh home run of the season during Thursday afternoon's 4-2 win over the Pirates. 

Howard went yard in the fifth inning off of Radhames Liz, hitting a solo shot to right field. Howard finished the game 3 for 4 as he also recorded two singles. He's now hitting .230/.293/.478 this season. 

Howard is now hitting .293 in his last 12 games. 

Cubs manager Joe Maddon swapped first baseman Anthony Rizzo and third baseman Kris Bryant in the batting order for Thursday's contest against the Mets.

Rizzo, who has been in the No. 3 hole 25 times this season, was moved to the second spot in the order. Bryant will bat third for just the second time this season, and the first time since May 6.

Bryant has homered three times in May, and is hitting .297 (11 for 37) with a double, a triple and nine RBI in his last 10 games. Rizzo is also having a strong month, hitting .347 (17 for 49) with four doubles, one triple, five homers and 10 RBI in 13 games this month.

Chicago is favored (-118) at Wrigley Field against the Mets, per VegasInsider.com.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 3 for 4 at the plate in Arizona's 9-6 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday. 

Goldschmidt grabbed a single in his first at-bat, a double in his second and a triple in his third. However, Goldschmidt was unable to complete the cycle, striking out and drawing a walk in his final two at-bats. If he would have hit a home run in his fourth at-bat, he would have become the 14th player in baseball history to hit for the cycle in order. 

"We were all thinking he was going to get his home run and get the cycle," manager Chip Hale said to MLB.com. "It just didn't work out."

Goldschmidt is hitting .347 with 28 RBI in 121 at-bats this season.

Phillies' Darin Ruf is starting in left field and batting cleanup on Wednesday against the Pirates. Ruf was out of the lineup each of the last two games with a right-hander on the mound. Ruf is batting just .137 against righties this year. 

But with left-hander Francisco Liriano on the bump Wednesday, Ruf will look to break out of a 6-for-30 slump over his last 10 games. 

Ben Revere will slide over and play center field and Ryan Howard moves down to fifth in the batting order on Wednesday. 

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores went 1 for 3 at the plate in New York's 4-3 win over the Cubs on Monday. Flores did his damage in the sixth inning, crushing a Jon Lester pitch over the left center field wall for a solo home run, his fourth of the season.

Flores is now hitting .242 with 10 RBI in 91 at-bats this season.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 1 for 4 at the plate in Chicago's 4-3 win over the Mets on Monday. Rizzo did his damage in the first inning when he ripped a solo home run over the right field wall off of Jacob deGrom, his seventh of the season.

Rizzo moved his average to .327 with 19 RBI in 113 at-bats this season.

Phillies infielders Chase Utley, Cody Asche and Ryan Howard are back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.

The Phillies gave all three a break from starting with a lefty on the mound Saturday, but all have returned to their regular roles.

The Phillies are home underdogs (+130) against the Mets Sunday.

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.