MLB Player News

Goldschmidt went 1-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, two walks and a double in a 7-3 win over the Indians on Friday.

Goldschmidt walked in his first couple of plate appearances before ripping a two-run double to deep center in the fifth inning to give his team a lead it would not relinquish. The ever-productive first baseman is already off to a terrific start to the campaign with five RBI on the back of a 1.200 OPS through five games.

Joseph has returned to the Phillies' lineup Friday against the Nationals, playing first base and batting sixth.

He probably needed a breather to correct his 0-for-8, five-strikeout start to the season. Joseph will not have an easy matchup this time, facing Nats ace Max Scherzer.

Bell is hitting second in the Pirates' Friday lineup against the Braves.

The first baseman hit seventh and eighth, respectively, over Pittsburgh's first two games, but those came with the designated hitter in Boston's Fenway Park. This may wind up as Bell's normal spot in the order against right-handed hurlers in National League stadiums. Considering the questions surrounding his power, adding as many plate appearances as possible to his otherwise disciplined skills at the dish will work toward maximizing his value.

Flores went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Braves.

Starting in place of Lucas Duda at first base, Flores picked an excellent time to get his first hit of the young season. The utility man parked a 2-2 offering from Jaime Garcia in the left-field seats to open up a lead the Mets wouldn't relinquish. Flores isn't expected to be an everyday player, but this performance along with his versatility should give him a decent amount of usage throughout the season.

Bour is in the lineup Thursday, hitting seventh and playing first base, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

It's promising that Bour is not riding the pine with a left-handed pitcher, the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, taking the hill. Bour has power for days but failed to leave the yard against a southpaw in 30 at-bats last year. This assignment, however, may signal that the Marlins want to expose him more to lefties in order to facilitate his growth.

The Braves signed Howard to a minor-league deal Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. Howard will participate in extended spring training before reporting to Triple-A Gwinnett.

With Freddie Freeman locked in as a franchise player at first base, Howard didn't exactly join a spot that puts him on the fast track to the bigs. Still, Atlanta could have worse organizational depth pieces than someone who hit 23-plus home runs in the previous three seasons. The 2006 National League MVP must wait for an opportunity, though it may come as a bench bopper or as a designated hitter in interleague play at American League parks. The latter avenue could serve as a teaser before Atlanta uses him as trade bait for AL clubs later in the season.

Joseph is out of the lineup Thursday against the Reds, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports.

It's been a rocky start to the year for Joseph, who is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in his first two games. He'll take a seat Thursday in favor of Brock Stassi, who will be making the first start of his MLB career.

Votto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Phillies.

He ended Jerad Eickhoff's shutout bid by crushing a hanging breaking ball to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, providing Brandon Finnegan with all the offense he would need on the night. Votto has hit 29 homers in each of the last two seasons, but the rock-steady slugger will need the Reds' offense to improve around him if he's going to reach the 100-RBI plateau for the first time since 2011.

Joseph went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-0 loss to the Reds.

After going 0-for-4 with two Ks in the Phillies' opener, it's safe to say this isn't the way Joseph wanted to begin the season. The 25-year-old improved his strikeout rate in the second half of 2016, so don't overreact to a couple of bad games right out of the gate. If Joseph's struggles continue into May, though, Rhys Hoskins does loom behind him on the organizational depth chart.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, a walk and two runs against the Giants on Tuesday.

He's off to a typical start, going 3-for-7 over the season's first two games. After he saw his power drop a bit last year while his steals rose, look for Goldschmidt to see the reverse effect this year -- a return to 30 homers with his typical great batting average seems more than reasonable, but it's doubtful that he'll reach 30 steals again.