MLB Player News

Prior to starting a homestand Monday against the Nationals, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel predicted first baseman Ryan Howard would start hitting for more power, according to MLB.com. Well, Howard hasn't made his manager look like a fool.

Howard homered twice Saturday against the Mets and has homered three times in the first five games of the homestand. Howard is batting .439 (18 for 41) with an .805 slugging percentage, 1.315 OPS, one triple, three home runs, four doubles and 11 RBI in his last 11 games.

Manuel said Howard's surge is because the veteran slugger is being more selective at the plate.

"Usually when you do that, you'll get some timing, and he's doing it consistently in games, especially against right-handers," Manuel said. "And you could see it [Saturday]. He got the ball up in the air because he took good, quick swings at the ball."

The Mets like infielder Wilmer Flores' bat, but they are having a hard time trying to find a position for Flores to play, according to the New York Post. Flores has primarily played second base in 2013 for Triple-A Las Vegas, but one talent evaluator said Flores is having a rough transition.

Flores has committed nine errors in 242 chances at second base and has a .963 fielding percentage as a second baseman this season. He's batting .308 with a .500 slugging percentage, .847 OPS, four triples, eight home runs, 23 doubles and 56 RBI in 72 games.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard had one of his best games of the season Saturday against the Mets. He went 3 for 4 for his sixth multi-hit game in the last 10, and his hits were big ones.

Howard opened with a two-run single in the first and followed with solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings, his first two-homer game of the season. Ryan drove in four runs and scored two in an 8-7 win.

Howard is hitting .358 with three home runs and 15 RBI in June, after batting .254 through the first two months of the season. 

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt now has 19 home runs on the season after going deep twice Friday against the Reds.

Goldschmidt took Johnny Cueto yard for a two-run shot in the fifth inning and added a solo blast in the sixth. Goldschmidt finished 3 for 5 overall with three RBI and two runs scored. He is batting .306.

The National League MVP candidate has gone deep four times in his last four games with six RBI.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto homered and doubled Friday in Arizona. Votto finished 3 for 4 on the night.

The slugger went deep for the 13th time this season in the seventh inning for a solo shot. He drove in two runs and has a .330 average.

Votto has recorded at least one hit in six straight games and is 12 for 25 (.480) over that span with two home runs and four RBI.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto recorded his 35th RBI and finished 2 for 4 Thursday against the Pirates. Votto pushed his hitting streak to five games, batting .429 (9 for 21) with one double, one home run and two RBI.

Votto has two home runs and eight RBI in 19 June games.

The Phillies have reached a point with Ryan Howard's knee where they don't know whether he is available to play each day until he reaches the park. Manager Charlie Manuel told the News Journal Tuesday he had to check with Howard after writing his name into the lineup against the Nationals.

"If he’s hurting, I'll talk to him when he gets here," Manuel said hours before the game. "I might have to change my lineup."

Manuel also admitted that Howard's left knee has been a big part of his struggles this season; Howard has just eight home runs, including just two in the last 131 at-bats.

"In Ryan's situation, to use his strength and quick swing, the back side is definitely important," Manuel said. "Push off and balance is what counts. How much it bothers him, I guess he tells us by the way he plays. I've seen where he hasn’t used his legs for quite a while."

Howard has been replaced for pinch runners and defensive replacements at many points this season, and Manuel does not seem to know if that will change moving forward. Howard is hitting .274 with a .784 OPS, the second-lowest mark of his career. 

Cubs manager Dale Sveum held first baseman Anthony Rizzo out of the lineup for the first time this season Tuesday night against the Cardinals.

Rizzo had played the team's first 68 games before taking Tuesday off. He is hitting .157 over his first 15 June games. He has a .241/.327/.444 slash line with 10 homers and 39 RBI this season.

Known for providing power and not much else, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has put up some curious numbers over his last seven games. Not only has he compiled a .462 batting average on 12 hits, but of those 12 hits, only three are for extra bases, including a homer.

It's as if he's stopped caring how far he hits the ball and just hits it. He basically said as much after Monday night's game against the Nationals.

"I've been trying to put together some good at-bats and let the power come when it comes," Howard said.

Maybe that's just a throwaway explanation for one of the many oddball trends that inevitable result when you reduce 162 games down to just a handful -- in fact, that's probably the case -- but I'm curious to see what comes next. Howard's power numbers aren't up to snuff, but if he's able to compensate with a higher-than-usual batting average, he'll still be a useful corner infielder or utility player in mixed leagues.

Right now, his .274 batting average would be his fourth-best mark for a full season.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt drove in both of his team's runs during a 3-2 loss to Miami Monday. 

Goldschmidt, hitless in his previous 12 at-bats and just 3 for 33, lined Jacob Turner's 1-0 pitch over the right-field fence to put Arizona up 1-0 in the third inning, his 16th home run. The Diamondbacks made it 2-0 in the fifth when Gerardo Parra singled, stole second and scored when Goldschmidt singled sharply to center. Goldschmidt leads the NL with 61 RBI.

Goldschmidt is batting .143 (6 for 4) with two home runs, four walks, four runs and eight RBI in his last 11 games.