MLB Player News

Bour (ankle) will start his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A New Orleans, New Orleans announcer Tim Grubbs reports.

Bour has been out since early July with an ankle injury that he suffered during a game against the Braves on July 2. The first basemen should get a few games under his belt with New Orleans before returning to the big league club, as he says he is still getting comfortable running around the bases and playing the field again. In his place, the Marlins have been shuffling between players at first base, and he should slot right back into the lineup when he returns.

Naylor was traded to the Padres on Friday as the headliner in the return package for Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea, the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer reports.

Naylor was the top prospect in a very weak Marlins farm system, so it stood to reason that he would have to be included in any deal that netted Miami starting pitching help at the deadline. A 19-year-old first base prospect hailing from Canada, Naylor was hitting .269/.317/.430 with nine home runs and 10 steals (on 13 attempts) in 342 at-bats with Low-A Greensboro. Most impressively he has a very respectable 16.8 percent K-rate, which distinguishes him from many other highly-touted first base prospects in the lower levels. There is no reason to expect him to continue to steal bases at a useful clip as he moves up the Padres' organizational ranks but his power should start to show up more in games, with the potential for him to be a 30-homer threat in the big leagues. He should man first base for Low-A Fort Wayne over the rest of the season and doesn't figure to reach the big leagues until at least 2019.

Freeman unloaded against the Twins on Wednesday, going 4-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk, a steal and five RBI.

He did much of the grunt work of building the Braves a 7-0 lead -- which they nearly squandered before winning 9-7 -- with a pair of RBI singles and a two-run homer in the first four innings. Thanks to the steal, Freeman contributed to every one of the five standard fantasy categories in this one, He skidded through the first half-plus of July, but it seems like Freeman revived his bat during last weekend's series in Colorado.

Votto went 2-for-3 with a homer, a walk, two runs and two RBI in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Votto has quietly amassed an 11-game hitting streak, which has also featured 15 runs scored and 10 more driven in. The veteran first baseman's four homers in that span have also raised his season mark to 18, putting him on pace to match last year's total of 29. Talks of the 32-year-old's impending decline have been largely overblown.

Flores, starting in Game 2 of the Mets' doubleheader Tuesday had three hits and will be in line for short-term playing time due to Jose Reyes' injury.

Flores had been red-hot before Reyes was called up from his minor-league stint after signing with the Mets. Reyes will be out at least a few days with a Grade 1 intercostal strain, opening the door for Flores to start at third base. Kelly Johnson could also factor in the mix at the hot corner.

Bour (ankle), who has been taking batting practice and running the bases, is expected to begin a rehab assignment Thursday with High-A Jupiter, MLB.com reports.

Bour hit the disabled list on July 6 with a sprained right ankle and continues to make progress towards a return, though he admits that he's still getting comfortable running the bases and playing in the field. He posted a solid .268/.347/.526 line with 15 home runs and 46 RBI over 213 at-bats before going down and should return to the Marlins starting lineup after getting in a handful of rehab games.

Joseph is not in the starting lineup for the Phillies on Tuesday, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reports.

Over his last 10 games, Joseph is hitting .394 with three home runs and five RBI in the cleanup spot for the Phillies. Ryan Howard will start at first base and hit fourth on Tuesday.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with his 17th home run of the season in Sunday's win over the Reds.

Goldschmidt might not match last season's 33 home runs, but he's still putting up great numbers once again. His 17 home runs are joined by 63 RBI, 13 steals and a .289/.410/.504 slash line, so Goldschmidt remains an elite fantasy option.

Carter is not in the lineup for Monday's series opener against the Diamondbacks.

Carter will get his first rest since July 4 after collecting just one hit in 16 at-bats over the last four games. Jonathan Lucroy will move out from behind the plate to man first, while Martin Maldanado will catch Chase Anderson and bat eighth for the Brewers.

Joseph went 2-for-5 with an RBI against the Marlins on Monday.

The rookie first baseman has been on fire this month, hitting a robust .380. The hot streak has raised his average from .221 all the way to .267. Hitting in an otherwise iffy Phillies offense, Joseph has 13 home runs and 25 RBI this season, with much of that production coming in July.