MLB Player News

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores went 1 for 2 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 3-2 loss to the Braves Wednesday.

Flores was just 1 for 10 over his last four games before going yard Wednesday. He has hit .224/.258/.301 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 156 at-bats.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto added fielding ground balls to his baseball activities Wednesday, MLB.com reports. He's eligible to come off the disabled list Sept. 4 but may have trouble being ready to go on a rehab assignment before the end of the minor-league season.

"I'd hate to say there's no chance, but I think because we're initiating baby steps that ... I don't know if he'll be ready by Sept. 4 or not. I have no idea. I really don't," manager Bryan Price said. "It's been a real gradual recovery, and it's an injury that needs -- more than anything, beyond strengthening and therapy -- it needs time to recover. ... We just haven't been able to force the recovery faster. There's just no quick fix to this quad problem to where he can play on it with the stability that's needed."

Votto remains without a timetable to rejoin the Reds.

Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo has been sidelined for the Wednesday night game against Cincinnati with a back ailment.

His absence is a blow to the team. Rizzo has been on a power surge with five home runs since Aug. 12. He has 10 hits in his last eight games to sweeten his stat line to .278/.375/.514.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was removed from Tuesday's game due to lower back tightness, the team announced.

The injury is expected to be minor. Rizzo went 1 for 4 and hit a solo home run in the game. He owns a .278/.375/.514 line with 30 home runs and 71 RBI in 486 at-bats.

A CT scan Tuesday confirmed that Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will not need surgery on his fractured left hand, FOXSportsArizona.com reports.

Goldschmidt is roughly two-to-three weeks away from beginning strengthening work on the hand, and while he's expected to miss the rest of the season, he should be 100 percent by spring training.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto has begun baseball activities in recent days, he told the Cincinnati Enquirer Tuesday.

Votto, who has been sidelined since early July, due to a quad injury, has been taking dry swings and throwing, the first activities he has done since suffering the injury. Prior to this, he has been limited solely to strength exercises in the quad, though at this point it is not clear whether he has a timetable to return.  

Nationals infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is back in the lineup Tuesday against the Phillies, after sitting out one game with an injury to his side. He is batting second and starting at second base for Tuesday's game. 

Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera was held out of the starting lineup Monday against Philadelphia, according to Comcast SportsNet  Washington. Cabrera injured his side muscle swinging on Sunday. He owns a .249/.315/.396 slash line with 11 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 450 at-bats.

Nationals second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera is day-to-day due to soreness in his right side, masnsports.com reports.

Cabrera went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI double in Sunday's game before coming out. He has hit .249/.315/.396 with 11 home runs, 50 RBI and seven stolen bases in 450 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 1 for 2 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals Saturday.

Howard hadn't homered in more than two weeks before coming through with his sixth-inning shot Saturday. He has hit .223/.308/.380 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI in 466 at-bats.