MLB Player News

The All-Star game starters were announced Saturday,  with 34 of the National League's 35 roster spots officially unveiled. The final roster spot will be decided via a fan vote prior to the game.

The National League starting lineup features Yadier Molina, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Troy Tulowitzki, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gonzalez and Bryce Harper.

The pitching staff is made up of Clayton Kershaw, Patrick Corbin, Matt Harvey, Adam Wainwright, Jason Grilli, Jordan Zimmermann, Craig Kimbrel, Travis Wood, Jose Fernandez, Cliff Lee, Jeff Locke and Madison Bumgarner.

12 position players were selected as reserves: Andrew McCutchen, Michael Cuddyer, Buster Posey, Pedro Alvarez, Domonic Brown, Everth Cabrera, Matt Carpenter, Allen Craig, Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura and Marco Scutaro. 

Ian Desmond, Freddie Freeman, Adrian Gonzalez, Hunter Pence and Yasiel Puig are the five players included in the Final Vote. 

The Phillies placed Ryan Howard on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, due to chronic knee inflammation. Howard had been in and out of the lineup over the last few weeks, and was scratched from Saturday's game before the roster move was made.

Darin Ruf was called up to take Howard's place on the active roster. 

Despite entering Friday with just a .503 OPS against left-handers, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard homered off Braves lefty starter Paul Maholm in Friday's 5-4 win over the Braves. It was his only hit in four at-bats.

Howard owns a .266 batting average, 11 home runs and 43 RBI in 286 at-bats. He's 4 for 13 in July after ending June on a 0-for-18 skid.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit his 15th home run of the season in a 4-2 loss to the Mariners Friday. He was the only person on his team with a multi-hit game, going 2 for 4.

Votto has gotten on base in 20 straight games and has a .325 batting average in 323 at-bats.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is starting first baseman Ryan Howard in Friday's game against the Braves with a left-hander on the mound and does not consider Howard a platoon player, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

"I don't look at Ryan Howard as a platoon player yet," Manuel told the Inquirer Friday. "I think he can still hit and still get going. His knee does bother him. If we're going to rest him against somebody, it should be against a lefty. But at the same time, it doesn't mean he is a platoon player yet."

Howard has hit .169/.217/.286 in 77 at-bats against left-handers.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard returned to the starting lineup Thursday afternoon against the Pirates.

Howard had a single in the second inning and finished 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored in a 6-4 win. He is hitting .266/.319/.457 with 10 homers and 42 RBI in 282 at-bats.

The Braves have recalled corner outfielder and first baseman Joey Terdoslavich from Triple-A Gwinnett, MLB.com reports. Terdoslavich, 24, owns a .318/.359/.567 line with 18 home runs in 85 games for Gwinnett. It's unclear what his role will be right now -- most likely, he'll give the Braves a power bat off the bench.

Astros outfielder/first baseman Chris Carter had a monster performance in a 4-1 win over the Rays Wednesday. Carter homered twice in the game. 

Carter went deep off starter Roberto Hernandez in the second inning. He added his 17th HR of the season in the seventh for a three-run blast off Jake McGee to give Houston the final score of 4-1. 

He finished 2 for 4 with all four RBI for the Astros. The two homers were Carter's second multi-HR game of the season. He also did it back on April 9 at Seattle. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Pirates, due to lingering soreness in his knees. Howard was spotted limping after Tuesday's game, and manager Charlie Manuel opted to keep him out of the lineup to rest from his chronic knee pain, the 13th time he has been out of the starting lineup.

"I can about look at him and tell it’s bothering him by the way he walks," Manuel told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "That (first to home) is a hard run for him and his knee is worse some days than others."

Manuel also said he will likely continue to sit Howard against tough left-handed pitchers, such as Pittsburgh's Jeff Locke, as long as his knee remains a lingering concern. Howard should be back in the lineup Thursday, and hopes to play all three games during a weekend series against Atlanta.

"When Ryan’s knee is bothering him and a lefty is pitching, I think that’s a good time to give him a blow," Manuel said. "That’s kind of what we’ve been doing. When he gets going good, we’ll put him back in there."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told MLB Network Radio Wednesday he still plans to ease first baseman Ryan Howard back into the lineup when a left-handed starter is on the hill. Howard is mired in a 2-for-22 slump in his last six games and is batting .171 against left-handed pitchers this season.

"I'm going to work him back in against left-handed pitchers," Manuel said. "His knee is a little sore, but eventually we'll turn him back loose against righties and lefties."