MLB Player News

Manager Pete Mackanin said Joseph will see more playing time against right-handed pitching moving forward, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports. "We brought Joseph up here for a reason, to get a look at him," Mackanin said. "I can't let him stagnate on the bench like (Darin) Ruf ended up doing, so he's going to face some right-handed pitchers to keep his timing."

Mackanin's comment makes it sound like this will be a time share at first base and not full-time at-bats for Joseph. Given Ryan Howard's struggles this season and impending free agency, it would make sense for Joseph to see the majority of the starts moving forward. Joseph is hitting .286/.289/.571 with three home runs in 35 at-bats since his promotion from Triple-A.

Joseph got the start at first base Sunday against right-hander John Lackey and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a solo shot, his third home run of the season.

The home run actually came against reliever Justin Grimm, but it's still encouraging to see Joseph in the starting lineup when he doesn't have the platoon advantage. The Phillies have overachieved so far in 2016 but are still in the middle of a rebuild, so expect them to continue phasing out Ryan Howard and giving Joseph every chance to establish himself as an everyday player.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he will continue to reduce Howard's playing time in order to look more at Tommy Joseph, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard has had dwindling production, while Joseph is slashing .286/.289/.571 in his first 35 major league at-bats. For comparison, the veteran Howard has slashed .154/.219/.346 over 136 at-bats in 2016. Mackanin noted that he'll start Joseph against right-handed starters, but is unsure of who he'll choose to start against lefties.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a walk and a strikeout against San Diego on Sunday.

Goldschmidt's average remains a paltry (for his standards) .257, but he remains a major threat at the plate due to his power and ability to get on base at a high clip. The first baseman has hit safely in eight of the past nine games for a .400 average over that span, so he's beginning to show the form he's evidenced over the past three seasons.

Flores will start at third base and bat sixth in the order Sunday against the Dodgers.

Look for Flores to see regular playing time in the immediate future at the corner infield spots, which have been decimated by injuries of late. The 24-year-old has already appeared in 19 games this season (12 starts), and owns a .535 OPS through 55 plate appearances.

Flores (hamstring) was activated by the Mets on Sunday, MLB.com's Joe Trezza reports.

Flores, a shortstop by trade, is expected to see time at the corner infield spots upon his activation. With David Wright (neck) facing a multi-game absence, and Lucas Duda (back) on the DL, Flores will likely be utilized where the team needs him most. He certainly isn't a stranger to those positions, as he's made two starts at first base and five starts at third this year. He may have to compete a bit with the recently-acquired James Loney for some of those reps, but consider Flores a near-lock to start whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound for the opposing team. He could very well hold down that role for some time, especially if Wright requires a DL stint.

Howard is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cubs.

Howard made a return to the lineup Saturday, but will sit again Sunday for the sixth time in the last seven games. Only one of those contests have featured a southpaw on the mound for the opposing team, so it appears manager Pete Mackanin is following through with his assertion from earlier this week regarding the reduction of Howard's role. Despite a storied history in Philly, a .154 batting average simply won't cut it for the first baseman, even if shades of his power (eight home runs) remain an aspect of his game. Tommy Joseph and his .810 OPS will get another start in the afternoon contest.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, home run, two RBI and two runs in Saturday night's one-run victory over the Padres. He also added his sixth stolen base of the season.

Although his average is up a tick from April, Goldschmidt's slugging percentage is more than 100 points lower than it was a month ago. Part of the issue is that opposing pitchers are pitching around him more than ever, as is evident by his career-high walk rate of 20.9 percent. The good news is that history would indicate that his power numbers are on their way as the season pushes into summer.

Votto went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, a run and a strikeout against Milwaukee on Saturday.

It has been a disappointing season for Votto thus far, but the two hits increased his average to .212. The first baseman has hit safely in five of the last six games, so it seems he might be leaving his struggles behind even if the stats don't show that yet.

Flores (hamstring), who is not in the lineup Saturday, could be activated in advance of Sunday's game against the Dodgers, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports.

Flores was expected to be activated in time for Saturday's game, but it appears the Mets will wait an extra day before activating him. The Mets will again turn to Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera up the middle for Saturday's matchup with Kenta Maeda and the Dodgers.