MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley, shortstop Freddy Galvis and catcher Carlos Ruiz were all held out of the starting lineup on Thursday. All four starters returned to the starting lineup Friday night against the Braves.

Howard moved back to the No. 5 spot in the order for just the second time this season. Utley returned to his regular No. 3 spot, while Ruiz batted seventh, followed by Galviz eighth.

Philadelphia is considered a slight underdog (+105) at home against Atlanta, per VegasInsider.com.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg chose to rest four of his starters for Thursday's day game against the Marlins.

First baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley, shortstop Freddy Galvis and catcher Carlos Ruiz were all held out of the starting lineup. Darin Ruf started at first base, Cesar Hernandez started at second base, Andres Blanco started at shortstop and Cameron Rupp started at catcher.

Ruiz (.184), Howard (.196) and Utley (.120) are all batting below the Mendoza Line (.200). Galvis is batting .300 (15 for 50) with one double, one triple, one home run and eight RBI through 14 games.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt entered play Wednesday hitting .314 with a 1.073 OPS, the latter of which would be a career-best mark in April. He's slugged five home runs in just 51 at-bats.

"You're going to have two weeks during the year when you hit a few homers and then you're going to go two weeks where you may not have an extra-base hit," Goldschmidt said Wednesday, per the Arizona Republic. "Early on, that's all you have to judge yourself off of, whereas if it happens in August you've built up four and a half months of credibility. It's not really that big of a deal."

Goldschmidt has been swinging more at the first pitch of his at-bats, and three of his home runs have come on first pitches.

"If you try to take pitches, they're going to notice that really quickly and start pumping strikes," Goldschmidt said. "When you're hitting behind in the count and they go to their off-speed pitches or become a little more particular with their pitches."

Goldschmidt will look to continue his hot start as the team continues its homestand with a three-game series against the Pirates beginning Friday.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores went 2 for 4 at the plate in New York's 3-2 win over the Braves Wednesday. Flores found success early, picking up an RBI single in the second inning to score Eric Campbell.

Then in the seventh, Flores ripped an 0-1 pitch from Cody Martin over the left center field wall for a solo home run, his third of the season. Flores is now hitting .273 with seven RBI in 44 at-bats.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores singled twice Tuesday vs. Atlanta, giving him multiple hits in back-to-back games for the first time this season. 

Flores has hit safely in six of his last seven games after batting .125 through his first five games. He is batting .333 (8 for 24) with one double, two home runs, five RBI and six runs in his last seven games.

Flores is doing most of his damage against right-handed pitchers. He is batting .265 with two home runs and five RBI against righties, as opposed to .167 with one double against lefties.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 2 for 4 at the plate in Chicago's 9-8 win over the Pirates Tuesday. Rizzo, who was also hit by a pitch, singled twice and scored two runs in the contest. 

Rizzo is swinging a hot bat to start the season, posting a .302/.475/.395 slash line in 43 at-bats to start the year. In five games batting from the two slot, Rizzo 6 for 19 with a home run and three RBI.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto uncorked his sixth home run of the season during Tuesday night's 16-10 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Votto took Tyler Thornburg deep in the top of the sixth inning for a solo home run. He added a single and reached base three times. He finished 2 for 5 with a walk, three runs scored, a home run and an RBI. He is hitting .377/.492/.792 on the year.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning to lead Philadelphia to a win over Miami.

Howard went 2 for 3 with a walk. He lifted his average to .208 and recorded his first home run and fourth RBI. 

''It feels good,'' Howard said. ''That's baseball. Sometimes the wind's blowing in, sometimes the wind's blowing out. You keep swinging, and they'll go. They'll do what they're supposed to do.''

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 2 for 4 at the plate Monday in Cincinnati's 6-1 win over the Brewers.

Votto struggled in his first two at-bats but was able to reach base in the sixth with a single. He was called out at home when trying to score on a grounder in the infield with the bases loaded. Votto then crushed the first pitch he saw from Wily Peralta over the left center field wall for a two-run blast, scoring Billy Hamilton.

It was Votto's fifth home run and 12th RBI of the year, leading the team in all offensive categories.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto has quickly put a rocky 2014 season in the rearview mirror, hitting .364/.481/.727 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 44 at-bats.

Votto has built his hot start on the back of his multihit performances, as the first baseman has picked up multiple hits in seven of his first 12 games, including twice in the team's recent three-game series against the Cardinals. Unfortnately, the Reds were swept by their division rivals this weekend and have lost seven of their last eight games. Cincinnati will look to turn things around in a four-game series in Milwaukee that starts Monday.