MLB Player News

Howard is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

As expected, Darin Ruf will replace Howard in the lineup Wednesday with the Phillies facing Cincinnati lefty Brandon Finnegan. Unless Howard has an unexpected turnaround against left-handed pitching, expect Howard to sit out in place of Ruf on most days where Philadelphia faces a southpaw.

Goldschmidt homered and drove in four runs in a 2-for-4 effort in Tuesday's win over Colorado.

Goldschmidt also tripled, which will help take the sting out of an 0-for-4 Opening Day line. Even with his brilliance last season, Goldschmidt had just four games with a home run and another extra-base hit in 2015, so this was a huge game for the Arizona first baseman.

Manager Pete Mackanin confirmed Friday that Howard will open the year in a platoon with Darin Ruf at first base, Corey Seidman of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard will start at first on Opening Day for the Phillies, but will sit in their second game Wednesday against the Reds. He will get the majority of the at-bats since he is on the strong side of the platoon. Howard had an .802 OPS and 20 home runs in 367 at-bats against right handed pitching last season.

Rizzo is slashing .304/.404/.587 this spring.

Rizzo was removed from Tuesday's game a little early, but that was just a precaution. He's been filling the box score all spring, as he has three home runs, two stolen bases, 10 runs, and 12 RBI in just 46 at-bats. He's primed for a big season, and may be the best first baseman on the board after Paul Goldschmidt.

Balaguert homered Thursday against the Mets and is a perfect 3-for-3 this spring.

Balaguert is a .252/.298/.380 hitter in four seasons in the minors and has never made it above the High-A level. He was signed as a 17-year-old when he defected from Cuba, but he's 23 now and looks just like organizational depth.

Manager Pete Mackanin said that Howard will start at first base on Opening Day against the Reds, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Mackanin would not confirm that Howard would also open the year in a platoon at first base with Darin Ruf, but that remains the expectation. The question is how much will Ruf play. Howard is in the final year of his contract and the Phillies are looking to the future. It would make sense to give Ruf more opportunity beyond just facing lefties, but Mackanin has yet to give any indication that is in the cards. Howard proved last season he can still be productive against right handed pitching with an .802 OPS and 20 home runs in 367 at-bats.

Rizzo left Tuesday's spring training game early, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Rizzo collided awkwardly with Andrew Lambo, so the early removal was likely a result of that. The nature of the setback is currently unclear, and it's possible the move was simply a precautionary one, but the club will likely offer more clarity on the situation if it turns out to be anything worth monitoring.

Carter is 9-for-42 (.214) with hour home runs and 10 RBI through 16 spring games.

Carter's batting line this spring is just about what one would expect -- a few home runs to go along with a meager batting average. He will be the Brewers' regular first baseman when the regular season kicks off next week.

Cabrera (knee) is slated to return to Grapefruit League action Monday, ESPN.com's Adam Rubin reports.

Cabrera was initially scheduled to play Sunday, but he said that he first wanted to log some time at shortstop in the minors before doing so. He's scheduled to play four innings in the minors after serving as the designated hitter a day earlier.

Cabrera (knee) will remain out of the lineup in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

The Mets were hopeful that Cabrera would be able to make his return Sunday, but manager Terry Collins said the infielder still hasn't been fully cleared by team trainers. Cabrera was at least able to serve as the designated hitter during a minor league game Saturday, going 2-for-5 with a double and a single. He's been out of Grapefruit League action since March 10.