MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard dealt with some soreness in his left knee that forced him out of the lineup Sunday, but was back in there Monday against the Red Sox. Howard told reporters he is not planning to wear a knee brace moving forward, despite continuing to deal with issues. He has missed three of the last eight games. 

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went deep Monday at home against the Indians. Votto took Nick Hagadone deep in the eighth inning for a two-run shot. 

Votto finished the game 1 for 4 with the two RBI. He's batting .351. Votto has homered five times in his last 10 games with eight RBI over that span. He has nine homers and 25 RBI on the year. 

Coming into Saturday's game against the Reds, Cubs manager Dale Sveum was asked whether he had considered giving first baseman Anthony Rizzo a day off, in order to help fix an 0-for-22 slide over his previous five games. Svuem dismissed the notion.

"Not yet," Sveum told MLB.com. "Obviously, it's a thought, but I don't think we're quite there yet."

Rizzo rewarded his manager's patience, going 3 for 3 with two doubles in a 5-2 loss. Rizzo gave the Cubs an early lead with an RBI double, and finished with a run scored, a walk and an RBI.

Svuem told MLB.com before the game that he thought Rizzo's swing had too much movement in it recently, a problem he apparently fixed.

"Everything spirals when you try to do too much," Rizzo said. "That's what I always say is try not to do too much, which is hard to do. It's part of a season. This is one of the worst [streaks] I've ever gone through. You have to keep working and keep battling."

Marlins manager Mike Redmond indicated Saturday that second baseman Donovan Solano, who has been out since May 7 with an intercostal strain, could resume baseball activities at extended spring training Monday, the Palm Beach Post reports.

"If he starts hitting on the field (next week), he’s probably maybe another week away from starting to play some games, if everything goes well," Redmond told the Palm Beach Post.

Solano has hit .278/.333/.324 with a home run and stolen base in 108 at-bats.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is hitless in his last four games after going 0 for 4 in a 4-2 loss to the Pirates Thursday. Rizzo has made 17 plate appearances during his four-game skid and hasn't reached base safely once.

Rizzo's line has fallen to .256/.320/.489 with the slump, but he does have 10 home runs on the year. He'll try to stop his skid this weekend against the Reds.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto slugged his seventh home run Wednesday against the Mets.

Votto finished 2 for 3 with two walks, two RBI and three runs scored. He continues to dominate National League pitching as he now sports a .354/.484/.545 line.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman finished 2 for 5 with two RBI in Tuesday's extra-inning win over Minnesota.

Freeman's RBI single in the 10th inning won it for Atlanta. He also doubled in a run and scored a run. His line is up to .293/.365/.407.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard did not seem at all slowed Tuesday by soreness in his left knee that cost him the previous two games. Howard had just his fourth multi-RBI game in the month of May, to lead the Phillies to an easy, 7-3, win.

Howard went 3 for 5 with three runs driven in, before being replaced for a pinch hitter after his third single in the eighth inning.  

The cortisone injection Howard had in the knee appears to have helped, and he should be able to play through any lingering issue. He is batting .256 on the season, with 25 RBI. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins, after missing the team's previous two games with left knee soreness.

Howard had a cortisone injection in the knee and hopes that he will be able to play through any lingering issues moving forward. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard rejoined the starting lineup Tuesday at Miami after missing two games with a knee injury. Howard enters play Tuesday mired in a 4-for-34 slump in his last nine games (eight starts).

"I guess if I blow out we’ll worry about that then," Howard said, per The Philadelphia Inquirer.