MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard comprised the entire offense Tuesday, going 2 for 6 with a home run and two RBI in his team's 2-1, 15-inning win over the Astros.

Howard put his team up 1-1 with his solo home run in the second inning, but the Astros were able to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Howard came to the plate with two men on and two outs in the 15th inning and delivered a walkoff single to give his team a win. He has hit .217/.299/.373 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI in 410 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is starting Tuesday for the ninth time in the last 10 games as he resumes a full-time starting role, MLB.com reports.

Howard was benched for three straight games in late July in order to give Darin Ruf an opportunity to play and Howard a chance to regroup. He's 1 for 25 over his last seven games.

So Paul Goldschmidt has a fractured left hand and, at least in the opinion of manager Kirk Gibson, is likely to miss the rest of the season. Bummer. He was one of the few first-round picks who had actually performed like one up to this point.

Naturally, you shouldn't expect to get first-round production off the waiver wire or for anything close to a discount on the trade market. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't aim high. If the rest of your lineup is strong, the right replacement at first base should keep you competitive.

Of course, finding the right replacement is easier said than done, but I offer some suggestions in the Fantasy Baseball Today blog. Be sure to give it a read if you haven't already.

The Phillies placed several players on revocable trade waivers Saturday, including starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, reliever Antonio Bastardo, first baseman Ryan Howard, starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick and starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez, a source told FOX Sports.

However, FOX Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal pointed out that nearly all players go on waivers in August. The players that clear waivers can be traded. The players claimed can be pulled back or traded/awarded to claiming team.

Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson delivered some disappointing news Sunday in regards to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who is sidelined due to a fractured left hand.

Gibson hinted Goldschmidt is likely done for the season, per The Arizona Republic.

"Realistically, it's eight weeks. So he's done," Gibson said.

The Diamondbacks have struggled enough this season with slugger Paul Goldschmidt in their lineup. They must now get by without him - he has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured left hand.

That is what an MRI taken Friday night revealed. Goldschmidt took a fastball from Ernesto Frieri off the hand in the ninth inning. He reported pain after the game, but expressed hopefulness that the problem was not serious.

Goldschmidt had slumped of late with three hits in his last 24 at-bats, but he still boasts an impressive stat line of .300/.396/.542 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 75 runs scored.

Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt reported pain in his left ring finger after being plunked by Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri in the ninth inning Friday night. The results of X-rays taken after the game have yet to be revealed. His hand was wrapped when he spoke to the media.

"I've never had any broken bones or fractures or anything like that," he told azcentral.com. "It felt OK. Obviously there's still some pain because he hit it pretty good. He throws hard."

The Nationals officially added newly acquired infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to the active roster Friday, the day after he was acquired via trade from the Indians.

Cabrera has struggled to a .246/.305/.386 line this season, but should be a regular starter in the middle infield for the Nationals down the stretch. He is, in fact, in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies, batting seventh and playing second base. 

The two years that have passed since Asdrubal Cabrera was a premier offensive force as a middle infielder and the five years that have gone by since he played second base all but precludes him from making a major positive impact with the Nationals.

Cabrera slipped into mediocrity at the plate after earning his second All-Star Game appearance in 2012 and has stayed there. His plate discipline disappeared in a spate of overaggressiveness, causing his strikeouts to rise to alarming levels. He frustrated the Indians in recent years with his inability to hit in the clutch - he's batting .188 with runners in scoring position and is hitless in 13 at-bats with a runner on third and two outs this season.

More disturbing has been his defensive collapse. Cabrera wowed the Indians early in his career with acrobatic, dependable work at shortstop that overshadowed mediocre range. He is now among the worst middle infielders in the sport with 14 errors that was until recently the most at his position in the American League and arguably the worst range in the league. That problem will not be any less pronounced with a move to second base, where he is expected to spend most of his time in Washington.

Cabrera will be seeking to maximize his value in free agency in the offseason. He will command $10 million a year or more if he somehow reverts to the form that made him an all-star. Too much time has passed for that to be a realistic possibility.

A matchup against Washington southpaw Gio Gonzalez and a mini-slump have Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard out of the lineup Thursday.

Howard, who has just one hit in his last 12 at-bats, is batting .229 agaisnt left-handers and is 0 for 11 lifetime against Gonzalez.