MLB Player News

With the demotion of Derek Dietrich to the minors, Marlins infielder Donovan Solano takes over again as the starting second baseman.

"I know I can do good things," Solano said, per the Sun-Sentinel. "Any ballplayer that plays regularly would find himself in a better position to do good things. I'll keep doing what I've always done, staying focused on my job, working hard and leaving everything in God's hands so things come out well."

Prior to going on the disabled list with an oblique injury in early May, Solano was hitting .278. He was optioned to the minors once healthy and hit just .150 in his first 11 games (three starts) when he was recalled in early July. Solano has collected five hits in his last two games -- both starts.

"When he went on the DL he was probably our hottest hitter and we really haven't had a chance to get him back in the lineup and get him going," manager Mike Redmond said. "It was tough for Solano. The role he was in, we weren't getting much out of him. He needs to play and get extended at-bats. He's going to get an opportunity to get extended playing time. He's going to play second. He'll probably play some third. We'll probably mix and match him and [Ed] Lucas. It's good to have that versatility."

Reds first baseman Joey Votto had two hits (one triple), two runs and two RBI Wednesday against the Giants. It was his second straight multi-hit game and third in July.

Despite the low number of multi-hit games in July, Votto is batting .290 (20 for 69) this month. He also has one triple, two home runs, four doubles, nine RBI, 16 runs and 16 walks in 20 games.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo produced an RBI for the fourth time in six games Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. In six games since the All-Star break, Rizzo is batting .261 (6 for 23) with one home run, two doubles, four RBI, five runs and six walks.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had a productive game Wednesday against the Cubs. Not only did Goldschmidt hit his 50th career home run in the sixth inning, but he also tied an Arizona record with four walks.

Goldschmidt put an end to his home run drought at 13 games. Goldschmidt, who has managed an RBI in four straight games and eight walks in his last four games, is batting .352 with three home runs, seven doubles, 12 runs, 16 RBI and 17 walks in 20 July games.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman had a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a two-run home run in the eighth in his first game back from a thumb injury Saturday against the White Sox.

He finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and three RBI in a 10-6 loss. He's hitting .308/.385/.476 with 10 homers and 64 RBI in 315 at-bats.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was back in the starting lineup Saturday against the White Sox, after missing two games due to a left thumb injury. Freeman was back in his usual spot in the lineup, hitting fourth and serving as the designated hitter after a week of rest. 

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was unable to return to the lineup Friday, as he continues to be bothered by an injury to his left thumb. Freeman was able to take swings Thursday, but he's not yet in game shape. He remains day to day. 

The Mets have placed infield prospect Wilmer Flores on the seven-day minor-league disabled list with an ankle injury, ESPN New York reports. Flores, 21, has hit .321/.357/.528 with 12 home runs and 75 RBI in 371 at-bats with Triple-A Las Vegas.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (thumb) was cleared by a team doctor to take dry swings and hit off a tee Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. If he responds well, then he could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday's second-half opener against the White Sox.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was the fifth-highest scoring Fantasy batter in the first half (standard Head-to-Head formats). If he wants to stay among the top 5 scorers by season end, then he needs to improve on his career second-half numbers.

I figured I'm not going to win any popularity contests by bringing this up, but it can't be overlooked that Goldschmidt's numbers in his young MLB career have been much better in the first half than second half. 

• First-half slash line (168 games): .308/.555/.939
• Second-half slash line (119 games): .263/.447/.792

Now, it has to be mentioned Goldschmidt made his MLB debut in the second half of 2011. While he hit just .250 in 48 games, he had a pretty decent slugging percentage (.474). Goldschmidt came back in 2012 to hit .271 in the second half, but he hit just eight home runs and slugged .431 in 71 games.

Listen, I'm not telling anyone to give up on Goldschmidt. That's not the intended message. I'm just pointing to the fact Goldschmidt has had a tendency to fade in the second half, which is a trend worth keeping tabs on in 2013.