MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has just seven home runs this season, putting him on pace for about 24. He's also hitting .258, which is 13 points below his career average. 

But Howard has a couple things going for him. His 13 doubles have him on pace for a career high and he's hitting .308 over his last 10 games. While his HR/FB ratio has dipped to 14.9 percent (about half of his career rate), one could attribute that to several factors, including some residual rust and strength issues from his Achilles surgery and rehab. 

Additionally, Howard tends to heat up later in the season, with his OPS reaching its highest marks in June (.899), July (.935) and August (.889). And while it's easy to say he's in a late-career power decline (he hasn't hit 40 home runs since 2009), Howard is still just 33. 

If Howard is sitting on a fellow owner's bench, or even being underutilized in the CI spot, it might not be a bad idea to send a buy low offer and see if you can pry him loose.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit his 10th home run of the year Wednesday against the Indians. The solo homer in the first inning was Votto's only hit of the night.

Votto has now collected at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 games, giving him a .352/.474/.563 line in 199 at-bats this year.

Marlins second baseman Donovan Solano has been rehabbing at extended spring training in Jupiter, according to MLB.com, and is nearing a minor-league rehab assignment. Solano is on the disabled list while recovering from an intercostals strain. 

Marlins manager Mike Redmond told The Miami Herald that second baseman Donovan Solano is making progress and could start his minor-league rehab assignment with Class A Jupiter at the end of the week.

Solano has been out since May 7 with an intercostal strain. He hit .278 with a home run and five RBI before landing on the DL.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo tripled for just the second time in his major-league career Monday, as he drove in two runs in a 7-0 win over the White Sox.

Rizzo brought in two runs on his seventh-inning triple, one inning after he doubled and came around to score on a sacrifice fly. He finished the game 2 for 5 with the two RBI and two runs scored, his third game in a row with at least one of each.

Rizzo is batting .263, while ranking sixth in the National League in home runs (10) and RBI (35). 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who was in the lineup Monday after missing Sunday's game, told MLB.com that his sore left knee will linger throughout the remainder of the season.

"Right now I'm just looking at it day to day," Howard said. "Sometimes it's a little more, sometimes it's a little less. Obviously that's going to be something. Right now I'm looking at it day to day, and trying to run with the good days."

Howard is hoping to avoid surgery, calling it "the worst-case scenario. I guess kind of if all else fails."

He finished 2 for 5 with two strikeouts Monday and is hitting .259 with six homers and 25 RBI on the year. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard dealt with some soreness in his left knee that forced him out of the lineup Sunday, but was back in there Monday against the Red Sox. Howard told reporters he is not planning to wear a knee brace moving forward, despite continuing to deal with issues. He has missed three of the last eight games. 

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went deep Monday at home against the Indians. Votto took Nick Hagadone deep in the eighth inning for a two-run shot. 

Votto finished the game 1 for 4 with the two RBI. He's batting .351. Votto has homered five times in his last 10 games with eight RBI over that span. He has nine homers and 25 RBI on the year. 

Coming into Saturday's game against the Reds, Cubs manager Dale Sveum was asked whether he had considered giving first baseman Anthony Rizzo a day off, in order to help fix an 0-for-22 slide over his previous five games. Svuem dismissed the notion.

"Not yet," Sveum told MLB.com. "Obviously, it's a thought, but I don't think we're quite there yet."

Rizzo rewarded his manager's patience, going 3 for 3 with two doubles in a 5-2 loss. Rizzo gave the Cubs an early lead with an RBI double, and finished with a run scored, a walk and an RBI.

Svuem told MLB.com before the game that he thought Rizzo's swing had too much movement in it recently, a problem he apparently fixed.

"Everything spirals when you try to do too much," Rizzo said. "That's what I always say is try not to do too much, which is hard to do. It's part of a season. This is one of the worst [streaks] I've ever gone through. You have to keep working and keep battling."

Marlins manager Mike Redmond indicated Saturday that second baseman Donovan Solano, who has been out since May 7 with an intercostal strain, could resume baseball activities at extended spring training Monday, the Palm Beach Post reports.

"If he starts hitting on the field (next week), he’s probably maybe another week away from starting to play some games, if everything goes well," Redmond told the Palm Beach Post.

Solano has hit .278/.333/.324 with a home run and stolen base in 108 at-bats.