MLB Player News

Through the Phillies' first seven games, veterans Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are a combined 6 for 43 with no home runs and four RBI.

"It sucks," Howard said of their coinciding slumps, per The Philadelphia Daily News. "Yeah, it sucks. Obviously, we want to get off to a better start. We're what, six or seven games in? It's definitely going to turn around. Nobody plans on trying to get off to a slow start.

"The only thing we can do is keep grinding and keep swinging, try to put together good at-bats. We've had opportunities, you just have to come through in other situations."

This is the worst start of Utley's career, while it is the second worst of Howard's. Utley is 2 for 22 with six strikeouts, two walks and no extra-base hits, while Howard is 4 for 24 with three doubles, eight strikeouts and no walks. In 2013, Howard began the season mired in a 4-for-27 slump.

"It's just a matter of time with Chase," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I have no worries there. He gets quality at-bats. And no worries there. Chase will be fine. We just need to create some opportunities with men on base for those guys in the middle of the lineup."

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson indicated Monday that he hasn't been completely satisfied with the performance of shortstop Wilmer Flores over the first week of the season, The Star-Ledger reports.

"It hasn't been super," Alderson said about Flores' opening week. "He's made some good plays. He's made some mistakes. He hasn't hit yet, but that's true of about six or seven of our guys. Wilmer is one of those guys that doesn't let things bother him typically. As long as we don't get to the point where we allow that to affect him then I think he'll be fine."

Flores is just 3 for 19 with one double in six games, and he's already made three errors at the shortstop position in just one week of play. The infielder made four errors as a shortstop in 2014 across 443 1/3 innings.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and six men left on base in Sunday's 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Nationals.

"Howie's just looking for some consistency," manager Ryne Sandberg said after the game, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "He was a little bit behind the fastball off of Scherzer. He just didn't connect today, but he continues to work at things. One swing of the bat somewhere in there could have made a difference."

Howard drew a chorus of boos on his fourth strikeout and was removed from the game.

"All I can say is tough game," Howard said. "That's all I got today."

Howard is 3 for 20 with three doubles and seven strikeouts this season.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 1 for 4 Saturday with a home run and three RBI in Arizona's 6-0 win over the Dodgers.

Goldschmidt snagged his first RBI in the third inning after a fielding error led to A.J. Pollock scoring. Then in the seventh, Goldschmidt ripped the first pitch he saw from Clayton Kershaw to deep left center for a home run, driving in Ender Inciarte.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 1 for 4 at the plate with a solo home run in Atlanta's 5-3 win over the Mets Saturday.

Freeman, who also struck out once, took pitcher Dillon Gee to deep right field to lead off the second inning. It was Freeman's first of the year and 87th of his six-year career.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit home runs in his first two at bats in a 5-4 win over the Cardinals on Friday. Votto hit two-run shots in the first and third innings, giving him three home runs on the year, or half as many as he had all of last season. 

"The one was off a pretty good pitch," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said, per the Associated Press. "He just went out and drove it. We've seen him hit some pretty good pitches in the past, and he did today."

'He was terrific,'' manager Bryan Price said. ''He's doing a lot of things really well. It's nice to have him back with his athleticism.''

Votto had his tenth career multi-homer game and first since May 13, 2012. 

Votto was two for three with a walk. He has eight RBI on the year and is hitting .412.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went two for two in a 5-1 loss to the Rockies on Friday. 

Rizzo scored the only run of the game for Chicago. He was also hit by a pitch twice. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was left out of the starting lineup Friday against the Nationals for the first time in four games this season. Darin Ruf drew the start at first base with left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the hill.

Howard, who is batting .083 (1 for 12) through three games, is a career .224 hitter against lefties. 

Ruf, who made a third straight start Friday (started in left field previous two days), has no hits in seven at-bats this season.

Late in spring training, it was reported the Phillies were willing to pay $50 million of the $60 million remaining on first baseman Ryan Howard's contract in order to trade him.

However, two rival general managers told CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman that they hadn't heard the Phillies were willing to pay that much of Howard's contract. One general manager said it was his belief the Phillies were only willing to pay $35 million to move Howard.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo heads into Friday's game against the Rockies having reached base safely in his last 16 games dating back to last season, which is the longest active streak in the majors, per the Chicago Tribune.

Rizzo has yet to record a hit in four at-bats this season, but he has a walk in each of his first two games. He also has one run, one hit by pitch and two strikeouts.