MLB Player News

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said Wednesday he has been dealing with some dryness in his eyes, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Freeman said he met Tuesday with the team optometrist, who said Freeman has some "abrasions in the whites of his eyes." They are treating the condition with drops and gel Freeman puts in his eyes before he goes to sleep.

Freeman was in the lineup Wednesday against the Marlins. The team has an off-day Thursday.

"Everything is all right -- nothing on the corneas," Freeman said. "I had some little abrasions on the whites of my eyes, and it was dry, so I had to clean my lids out and my tear ducts and get them going again. He said I should be fully healthy by Friday. I’ve got to deal with it a little bit (Wednesday), but I’ll be good."

Don't look now, but the Phillies' Ryan Howard may just be a Fantasy asset again.

Think back to the beginning of last year. He was finally recovered from the Achilles surgery that ruined his 2012 and was coming off a spring training in which he hit .322 with seven home runs in 87 at-bats. Expectations were rising. Believers were coming out of the woodwork. Most everybody, if only in the deepest recesses of their hearts, held out hope for a rebound.

It didn't happen, of course, which is how we wound up where we are now. But if you think back really hard, you might remember his 2013 actually lived up to the hype at first. He hit .282 with six home runs in his first 117 at-bats, putting him on pace for a 30-35 home runs over a full season.

His troubles began on May 19, when he sat for the first time with "chronic knee soreness." It persisted over the next couple months, causing his numbers to plummet. Only in July did the Phillies discover he had a torn meniscus, ending his season.

So now, here he is in full health for the first time since 2011, when he hit 33 home runs with 116 RBI, doing all the things we said he couldn't do anymore. I don't know about you, but when I review the history, I'm thinking we may have written him off too soon.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBI in his team's 7-0 win over the Dodgers Monday.

Howard has put together impressive performances in back-to-back games, combining to go 6 for 10 with one triple, two home runs and five RBI between his last two games. He has hit .271/.363/.543 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 70 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard finished a double shy of a cycle Sunday afternoon against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Howard actually made it to second base on a seventh-inning single that got past outfielder Brandon Barnes. He also took starter Juan Nicasio deep for a two-run home run in the third inning. He finished 4 for 5 with three runs scored and three RBI in a 10-9 victory. He is hitting .262 with four homers and 10 RBI in 65 at-bats.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was able to start Sunday's game vs. Cincinnati after leaving Saturday's game due to back spasms. Rizzo is batting .419 (18 for 43) with one triple, one home run, two doubles, six RBI, six walks and eight runs in his last 12 games.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was forced out of Saturday's game against the Reds after eight innings due to back spasms. He felt it in his final at-bat, and the Cubs opted to take him out early as a precaution.

"It just started barking on me in the fifth or sixth, and once we took the four-run lead, I [decided to] play with more caution than go up there, get another at-bat and go out on the field and hurt it even more," Rizzo told MLB.com after the game.

Rizzo also said he felt it Friday, but does not expect it to be a lingering issue. He thinks he will be able to play in Sunday's game.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman clubbed another home run Friday against the Mets.

Freeman didn't get going until late in the game, but managed to make a big impact. With one man on base in the eighth, Freeman homered on an 83 mph changeup from Gonzalez Germen. He also added a double in the ninth inning.

Freeman finished 2 for 5, with one run and two RBI.

A matchup against tough Braves left-hander Alex Wood has Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard sitting Thursday. Catcher Carlos Ruiz is merely getting the day off after a Wednesday night game.

Howard is just 3 for 17 against southpaws this season. Ruiz has hit safely in five of his last six games, but owns a disappointing average of .233 and slugging percentage of .326 on the year.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run in his team's 5-2 loss to the Mets Wednesday.

It was the eighth double and third home run of the season for Goldschmidt, who is following up his breakout 2013 season with an excellent April. He has hit .338/.392/.577 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 71 at-bats.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit a two-run, two-out homer off Francisco Liriano in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 3-0 win vs. Pittsburgh. Votto finished 1 for 3 with one walk and two strikeouts.

Votto hit his fourth home run a day after collecting a season-high four hits Tuesday. All of Votto's home runs have come during a six-game hitting streak. He is batting .450 (9 for 20) with eight RBI in his last six games.