MLB Player News

Howard went 3-for-4 with a solo shot, his 15th of the year, in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

The veteran hit .250 (10-for-40) in July, his best average for any month so far this season. Howard's seeing limited playing time, but he's managed to put something in the stat sheet when he does get a start. If anything, he's moved up in the fantasy ranks to be a punt-play candidate in daily leagues.

Joseph is not in the Phillies starting lineup on Wednesday.

Joseph will give way to Ryan Howard, who will start at first base on Wednesday. Over his last 10 games, Joseph is hitting .257 in 35 at-bats. The 25-year-old has shown the ability to hit for power in his short time in the majors this season (14 in 202 at-bats), proving that he can be the long-term solution at first base in Philadelphia.

Smith, 21, is slashing .282/.343/.439 with 12 home runs and 73 RBI through 101 games for Double-A Binghamton.

Smith has doubled his previous career high in home runs while also maintaining a solid average. The Mets would like to see even more power along with a few more walks, though Smith does not strike out a ton and does make consistent contact. Depending on the health of Lucas Duda, Smith could make a play for the starting first base job as early as 2017.

Votto was phenomenal Tuesday, going 4-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI in a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Cardinals.

While his four hits earned him just a one RBI, Votto continues to improve as the season goes on. After hitting below .230 in April and May, Votto hit .319 in June and .413 in July, and has now begun August batting 1.000. Votto is especially lethal in leagues that reward walks or on-base-percentage, as the big night vaulted him into the NL lead in OBP at .425.

The Marlins are hoping to have Bour (ankle) back for Friday's game against the Rockies, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Bour will rehab with Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday and Wednesday, rest Thursday, then look to gain clearance for Friday's series opener in Colorado. The 28-year-old Bour, who suffered the ankle injury exactly one month ago, will return to the primary role at first base upon activation, starting against righties but sitting in favor of Chris Johnson against left-handed pitching.

Hoskins, 23, is batting .281/.355/.573 with 30 home runs and 95 RBI through 102 games for Double-A Reading.

Hoskins smacked his 30th home run at the end of last week, as he continues to lead the minors in dingers. Hoskins should be in the mix for the starting first base job in Philadelphia next season.

Cabrera (knee) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

As expected, the veteran infielder landed on the shelf Tuesday after straining his left patella tendon in Sunday's contest. There has been concern about the extent of Cabrera's injury, but no timetable for his return has been released. The Mets recalled Ty Kelly on Tuesday to take Cabrera's spot on the active roster.

Cabrera (knee) is expected to be placed on the disabled list Tuesday, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

Cabrera is dealing with a strained tendon in his left knee, and while the team is yet to provide a timetable, the ailment looks to be relatively serious. Manager Terry Collins said Sunday that he's "really concerned about it," and the expectation now is that Cabrera will miss at least a couple of weeks. The DL announcement, as well as a corresponding move, should come sometime Tuesday afternoon.

Carter went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Monday's loss at Petco Park, giving him 25 on the season.

The all-or-nothing first baseman has been checking the "all" category a lot lately, going yard three times in the last four games while failing to collect any other hits. This type of production is nothing new for Carter, who has smacked 115 homers in the last four seasons without breaking a .227 average in any of those individual campaigns. It's surprising that he didn't strike out in this one considering he does so 33.1 percent of the time.

Rizzo went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in a 3-for-3 game in Monday's win over the Marlins.

Rizzo had been relatively cold, as his last multi-hit game came July 20 against the Mets. He fell a home run short of the cycle as he managed a double and a triple, and the addition of a walk brought his OBP up to .396, which would be a career high. He has been the total package this year, with a 53:73 BB:K showing he has plenty of discipline to go with his obvious power.