MLB Player News

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt connected for his fifth home run of the season on Sunday, pulling even with the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez for the lead in the National League.

Goldschmidt went 1 for 3 with two runs scored in the D-Backs' win.

Mets left fielder Michael Cuddyer and shortstop Wilmer Flores are not in the starting lineup for Sunday's matchup with the Marlins.

It's just the second time on the bench this season for both players. Kirk Nieuwenhuis will bat seventh and play left field, while Ruben Tejada will bat eighth and play shortstop. The break for both starters comes even though the team is also off Monday.

"You've just got to understand that we've still got 150 to go, and we need those guys to stay as healthy as you can," manager Terry Collins said before the game, per ESPN New York.

The Mets are heavy favorites (-200) against the Marlins Sunday.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is serving as the team's designated hitter for Sunday's series finale against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The Braves have mixed and matched at designated hitter during the series in Toronto, using Chris Johnson and Nick Markakis there in the team's first two days. Catcher Christian Bethancourt is also back in the lineup Sunday after sitting out the team's first two games of the series.

The Braves are underdogs (+135) against the Blue Jays Sunday.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores didn't perform like an eight-hole hitter Saturday night against Miami. And he didn't perform like a batter with no multi-hit games this season.

Flores slugged a two-run homer to cap a three-run sixth and added a single in the victory. He nudged his average 40 points to .222 in the process and is batting .300 in his last six games.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 2 for 4 at the plate in Atlanta's 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays Saturday in 10 innings. 

Freeman cranked an 0-1 pitch from R.A. Dickey over the right field wall in the third inning, driving home Nick Markakis.

"The ball's never gonna do the same thing, so there's no point in seeing a pitch," said Freeman to MLB.com. "He throws between 67 and 80 [mph], so you just try to see one up and hope it doesn't move as much," Freeman said.

He is now hitting .478 in his career against knuckleball pitchers with three home runs.

The Braves will utilize right fielder Nick Markakis as the designated hitter for Saturday's game at Toronto, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

First baseman Freddie Freeman will DH on Sunday with infielder Chris Johnson playing first base.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt homered for the second time in as many days Thursday night against San Francisco.

Goldschmidt took Madison Bumgarner deep for a three-run home run in the fifth inning. He finished 1 for 5 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI in a 7-6 win in 11 innings. He is hitting .324 (12 for 37) with four homers and 12 RBI in 10 games.

Goldschmidt has homered in at least back-to-back games 14 times in his career. He's has only hit a home run in three straight games once. He'll get a crack at it Friday night against Jake Peavy and the Giants. He has a home run in two at-bats against the right-hander.

The idea of the Phillies trading struggling first baseman Ryan Howard at some point this season is starting to look doubtful, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman on Friday.

Howard is off to a rough start, and was bumped down to the No. 7 spot in the batting order. He is hitting .167 (5 for 32) with three doubles and one RBI in eight games. Scouts believe that Howard's timing has been off this season.

"He looks lost," one scout said. "Sometimes big guys just lose it, just like that."

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores went 1 for 4 with a three-run home run in his team's 7-5 win over the Marlins Thursday.

"Tonight was a big step forward for him," Collins said of Flores after the game, per MLB.com. "It was huge for us, and also for Wilmer. There has been a lot written about how high expectations are for him offensively, and you have to live up to expectations. I think tonight might really jumpstart him."

Flores came up with two men on and his team down three runs in the fifth inning and was able to tie the game with his first home run of the season. He has hit .172/.250/.310 while collecting four runs. His three RBI Thursday were his first of the season.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg bumped struggling first baseman Ryan Howard down to seventh in the batting order for Thursday's contest against the Nationals. Howard batted cleanup in his first seven games with the Phillies before receiving the night off on Wednesday.

Howard mired in a 4-for-27 slump with three doubles, 10 strikeouts and no walks in seven games. It will be the first time he'll hit seventh in the order since April 21, 2006, per MLB.com.

"I talked to him this afternoon and just told him, 'Hey, it's creating a lineup, trying to win the baseball game,'" Sandberg said. "And so [I told him], 'In the meantime, just keep working.' Howie's doing everything that's asked on the defensive side of the ball, and the offensive side of the ball. If he could get hot, then I'd have some flexibility and choices in the lineup, so that would be the best scenario."