MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was out of the starting lineup Friday against the Dodgers, and he is not expected to return until at least Sunday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Howard is 0 for 14 over his last three games since returning from a knee issue, and the team is trying to give him a mental break with the days off. He will still take part in fielding drills and batting practice on his off days.

Howard is batting .268 with a .789 OPS for the season, though those numbers have risen to .298 and .922 respectively in the month of June. 

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 5 with his seventh stolen base in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Nationals.

It was Goldschmidt's first steal since a two-steal game June 2. He is hitting .312/.386/.568 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI in 292 at-bats.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo doubled for a third straight game and added two RBI Wednesday against the Brewers. Rizzo has hit safely in six of his last seven games, batting .417 (10 for 24) with two home runs, three doubles and seven RBI.

Rizzo is turning the corner offensively after opening June mired in a 8-for-51 slump (.157) in his first 15 games.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard reached base once Tuesday against the Padres, in his return from a brief absence due to knee soreness.

Howard was hitless in four at-bats, but walked once in the game. He scored a run, in a 6-2 win.

Howard is hitting .278 on the season with an .832 OPS. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was back in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Padres, after sitting out the previous game with soreness in his left knee. Howard is battering fourth and player first base, as usual.

Howard has been dealing with soreness in the knee for much of the season, and may require days off moving forward to manage it. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is out of Monday's lineup with left knee soreness, MLB.com reports.

Howard also missed three games in May with soreness in the same knee. Howard is hitting a robust .357/.442/.643 in June without missing a game, so there aren't any indications he's been slogging through this injury the whole month. Most likely, the Phillies are taking extra precautions with the soreness due to last month's issue.

After a prolonged home run drought, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has clubbed two long balls in his last three games.

Rizzo has been prone to streaks this year. After belting eight home runs during April, Rizzo only hit two in May. Rizzo went over a month without a home run until finally breaking the streak June 21. He's started to come around lately, with seven hits over his last five games. Rizzo saw his rate stats drop precipitously after his May/June slump, but could come out of it quickly based on what Fantasy owners have seen early in the season.

Rizzo is hitting .253/.340/.469 in 277 at-bats. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit his 12th home run during a 3-for-3 day in a 14-6 win over the Astros Sunday. He also hit his 20th double, scored four runs and drove in four.

Rizzo had four RBI in 64 at-bats in June before Sunday. He's hit .253 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 277 at-bats this season.

Prior to starting a homestand Monday against the Nationals, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel predicted first baseman Ryan Howard would start hitting for more power, according to MLB.com. Well, Howard hasn't made his manager look like a fool.

Howard homered twice Saturday against the Mets and has homered three times in the first five games of the homestand. Howard is batting .439 (18 for 41) with an .805 slugging percentage, 1.315 OPS, one triple, three home runs, four doubles and 11 RBI in his last 11 games.

Manuel said Howard's surge is because the veteran slugger is being more selective at the plate.

"Usually when you do that, you'll get some timing, and he's doing it consistently in games, especially against right-handers," Manuel said. "And you could see it [Saturday]. He got the ball up in the air because he took good, quick swings at the ball."

The Mets like infielder Wilmer Flores' bat, but they are having a hard time trying to find a position for Flores to play, according to the New York Post. Flores has primarily played second base in 2013 for Triple-A Las Vegas, but one talent evaluator said Flores is having a rough transition.

Flores has committed nine errors in 242 chances at second base and has a .963 fielding percentage as a second baseman this season. He's batting .308 with a .500 slugging percentage, .847 OPS, four triples, eight home runs, 23 doubles and 56 RBI in 72 games.