MLB Player News

Braves red-hot first baseman Freddie Freeman will cool his heels on the bench Friday night against the Mets after sustaining a right wrist sprain Wednesday. Kelly Johnson will play the position instead.

Freeman hopes he can play Saturday, but admitted there is a chance he will be forced to skip the entire weekend series since his wrist remains sore, per MLB.com.

He had seven home runs and 18 RBI in his previous 19 games before going down.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit his 12th home run of the season in Thursday afternoon's 2-1 win over the Orioles. 

Howard hit a two-run homer off of Bud Norris in the sixth inning that ultimately served as the game-winner. He finished the game 2 for 3 and also hit a single. It was Howard's first home run since June 5. 

Howard now has a slash line of .236/.276/.471. 

Reds first baseman Joey Votto has returned to the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers. 

Votto did not start Wednesday but did play in the eighth and nine innings, notching a single in his lone at-bat. Votto is hitting .298/.398/.549 this year with 14 home runs and 36 RBI. Votto will bat third against the Tigers. 

As expected, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Red Sox after suffering a right wrist sprain Wednesday. Kelly Johnson started in his absence at first base.

Thursday was just the second time this season that Freeman didn't start. The other time was May 31. 

He is batting .328 with four doubles, five home runs, 15 RBI, 14 runs, seven walks, 13 strikeouts and two stolen bases through 16 games in June.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit his 19th home run of the season in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Angels. 

Goldschmidt hit his solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. Goldschmidt finished the game 2 for 4 and is now hitting an incredible .472 over his last 10 games. Goldschmidt has hit three home runs over this span as well. 

For the season, Goldschmidt holds a slash line of .363/.481/.679. 

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman left Wednesday's game against the Red Sox in the top of the seventh inning with a wrist injury. Freeman was 0 for 3 prior to his departure.

The Braves are calling the injury a right wrist sprain, which has caused Freeman to receive a cortisone shot, and he will not be available for Thursday's series finale. He does hope to play on Friday against the Mets, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo broke an 0-for-20 skin with a two-run home run in the first inning of Wednesday's game against the Indians. The home run, his 12th of the season, but the Cubs up 6-0, but they would go on to put up another 11 on the board to take the 17-0 victory.

Rizzo, who went 2 for 4 with the homer and a double on Wednesday, has cooled down at the plate recently. Over his last 10 games, he's batting .220 (9 for 41), though he still has a solid .303 batting average on the season.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto is not in the starting lineup against the Tigers on Wednesday.

Votto, who is hitting .333 in his last 15 games, will be replaced by Chris Dominguez at first base.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 1 for 5 with a double, his 20th, in Tuesday's loss to Boston. 

Freeman scored and drove in his 41st run of the season. The double extended his hitting streak to six straight. He's hitting .346 over the streak. 

Paul Goldschmidt will be the designated hitter for the Diamondbacks' matchup with the Angels on Tuesday. Goldschmidt has started at first base in all but one game this season, so manager Chip Hale will use Tuesday's game in an American League ballpark as a way to get Goldschmidt some rest.

Danny Dorn, just recalled from Triple-A, will get the start at first base on Tuesday.