MLB Player News

Reds first baseman Joey Votto has been moving well in spring training, a good sign after he missed 100 games last year due to a knee/quad injury.

Votto has slid both head first and feet first during games, and manager Bryan Price described him as looking "spry" per John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Votto is hitting .296 with a homer and six RBI this spring. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is better known as a power hitter. But Saturday, the club gave him a chance to bat leadoff in a split-squad game.

"I think I'm your prototypical leadoff hitter," Rizzo said. "I'm going to try to see some pitches, get on base. We don't steal much on this team anyway."

Rizzo, who normally bats third in the order, gave the lineup a breath of fresh air, according to manager Joe Maddon.

"It kind of freshens them up a bit," Maddon said. "The big thing is to protect him, and if you don't, he's not going to get pitched to."

Wilmer Flores returned to the Mets' lineup and will hit second Thursday night against the Yankees in Grapefruit League play, according to ESPN. Flores was sidelined since Sunday, after he fouled a pitch off his left foot. He is hitting .342/.350/.605 in 38 at-bats.

Braves outfielder Joey Terdoslavich (wrist) made the trip for Thursday's spring game against the Pirates and is available to play, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Terdoslavich missed a few days after hurting his wrist Saturday.

Terdoslavich is batting .278 (10 for 36) with one home run, six doubles, seven RBI, eight runs and 12 strikeouts in 18 spring games.

Daniel Murphy (hamstring) and Wilmer Flores (foot) both took part in infield drills at the Mets' spring training facility on Wednesday, according to the New York Daily News. Flores, who fouled a pitch off his left foot Sunday, played shortstop, while Murphy lined up at first base. Both players expect to be ready for Opening Day.

"I feel good," Murphy said, per the New York Daily News. "It feels good. I mean, I feel better than I did a couple of days ago, when it happened. So each day I'll hopefully progress, and we'll see how it feels tomorrow. I don't want to come out and say I'll be ready, and then not be ready."

While the Phillies were unable to trade first baseman Ryan Howard this offseason, it wasn't because of a lack of effort on Howard's part, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

Howard, who was trying to accommodate the Phillies' wishes, redid his approved trade list of nine teams by replacing NL teams that has been on his list for a long time.

The Orioles, Royals and Rays were among the new nine-team list Howard provided. All three teams are believed to have contacted the Phillies, but all three teams went in different directions. The Royals signed Kendrys Morales, the Orioles re-signed Delmon Young and the Rays traded for John Jaso to help with their DH needs.

The remaining organizations on Howard's list of nine teams he could be traded without approval include Tigers, Angels, Mariners, Yankees, Rangers and Red Sox, as ESPN first reported.

Howard is batting .217 (10 for 46) with one double, three home runs and eight RBI in 16 spring games. He also has 13 strikeouts and one walk.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 1 for 4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Braves. It was Howard's third home run of spring training and eighth RBI.

Howard, who also struck out once, is now hitting .217 with 13 strikeouts this spring.

Mets manager Terry Collins said Tuesday that shortstop Wilmer Flores (foot) may be able to resume Grapefruit League action Thursday, ESPNNewYork.com reports.

Flores fouled a pitch off his left foot Sunday and was still having issues walking Monday. However, the shortstop planned to take part in some baseball activities Tuesday while not yet running. The team expects Flores to be ready for Opening Day.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hit a career-best 32 home runs in 2014, has yet to hit a home run in 12 spring games. He is batting just .129 (4 for 31) with one double and four RBI.

“I feel great,” Rizzo said, per MLB.com. “It’s really weird. I hit some good balls but they haven’t found a hole. Overall, I feel like I’m having really good at-bats."

Hitting home runs in spring training seems to elude Rizzo every year. He had no home runs in 18 spring games in 2013 and hit just two last year in 18 spring games.

“I haven’t hit a homer in two years in spring training,” Rizzo said, apparently forgetting the pair of home runs he hit in 2014. “It’s just not in my cards. All I care about is I’m seeing the ball real well.”

Braves outfielder Joey Terdoslavich has a sore left wrist due to his fall when making an unassisted double play Saturday against the Cardinals, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. However, he is expected to be back in the spring lineup Thursday against the Pirates.

Terdoslavich is batting .278 (10 for 36) with one home run, six doubles, seven RBI, eight runs and 12 strikeouts in 18 spring games.