MLB Player News

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores went 0 for 3 in Tuesday's no-hitter loss to San Francisco. 

Flores went hitless for the first time since May 29 as his eight-game hitting streak came to an end. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 0 for 3 in Tuesday's loss to Pittsburgh.

It was Rizzo's first hitless game since May 24 and brought his 12-game hitting streak to an end.

Rizzo walked once in the game.  

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went yard three times in Tuesday night's 11-2 blowout victory over the Phillies. 

Votto hit solo home runs off of Aaron Harang in the third and fifth innings and then crushed a two-run homer off of Dustin McGowan in the seventh. This is the first time this season that Votto has hit three home runs in one game. 

"Boy he had a great game," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Votto, per MLB.com. "Really set the table in the first inning by getting the walk. Brandon [Phillips] and Joey each getting the game going with two walks and sets the stage for [Jay Bruce's] hit, an RBI, and [Zack] Cozart with the three-run homer, which gave us a nice early cushion.

Votto now has 13 home runs for the season. He finished the game 3 for 4 and drew a walk. He's now hitting .300/.406/.560. 

When the batting average of Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo fell to .316 on May 24, it was believed by many that an inevitable adjustment had begun.

After all, he had never hit better than .286 as a major leaguer.

Rizzo had an answer for the skeptics. He embarked on a 12-game hitting streak that has raised that average to .332, which ranks fourth in the National League. He is 17-for-44 during that stretch with six doubles and two home runs. His .608 slugging percentage is at its highest point since May 16.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is not only heating up with four hits in his last two games after a 3-for-32 slump. He also gets to face a pitcher Monday night against whom he has enjoyed great success.

Howard is batting .400 (6-for-15) lwith two home runs lifetime against Cincinnati starter Mike Leake. His teammates in the lineup that have hit against Leake are a combined 4-for-18.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard responded well to his off day on Saturday by coming up big in his team's 6-4 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Howard went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored in the win.

Howard is hitting .244 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI in 192 at-bats this season.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores is back in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Flores was held out of Saturday's lineup with what manager Terry Collins called "general stiffness." The infielder has hit .249/.275/.411 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in 185 at-bats.

The Mets are road favorites (-120) in Arizona, per VegasInsider.com.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores is out of the lineup Saturday due to what Mets manager Terry Collins said was "general stiffness," per ESPN.com.

"He came in and said he was real, real stiff yesterday," Collins said. "He's stiff again today. As you guys know, those are signs of a little fatigue setting in. We've got enough guys on the DL. So I'm going to give him a day to rest up."," Collins said of his shortstop. 

Flores has a seven-game hitting streak and is batting .249 with eight homers and 24 RBIs. 

A matchup against premier Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner has both second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard out of the lineup Saturday for the Phillies.

Neither has fared well against Bumgarner. Howard is 2-for-11 with one double lifetime against him while Utley has two measly singles in 12 at-bats.

Utley has been particularly poor against southpaws this season with just a .167 average (8-for-48). Howard, who broke free from a 2-for-32 slide with a home run Friday, is only at .175 (7-for-40) against lefties in 2015.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo had a big night on Friday against the Nationals. Rizzo had two hits in four at-bats. Both hits left the yard, his 10th and 11th home runs of the season.

Rizzo hit a solo home run in the fourth and a two-run shot in the sixth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Cubs fell 7-5. 

"It's really been incredible to watch," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, per MLB.com. "I have not really seen that level of offensive performance for that length of time. I'm talking the at-bats, the hits, the homers, the two-strike approach. His OPS is ridiculous right now. I know there are other guys out there, but personally, I have not seen anything quite that good."

Rizzo extended his hitting streak to 10 games. During that stretch, he's batting .361 with two home runs and five RBI.