MLB Player News

Bell reached base two times Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.

The rookie is batting .312/.416/.462 in 113 plate appearances, including an 18:10 BB:K. Pirates GM Neal Huntington said Sunday that Bell's defense continues to be a work in progress at first base. He also recognized the offensive threat Bell brings to the plate.

Goldschmidt homered and knocked in two runners in a 2-for-4 game Tuesday against San Diego.

This is just Goldschmidt's second homer of September as he has struggled to find his power stroke in the final month of the season. With just 21 blasts this season, he will fall well short of the 33 home runs he posted in 2015. Still, it's hard to argue with his overall performance, as Tuesday's game elevated his season line to .297/.413/.484.

Joseph went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run and an RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the White Sox.

Joseph continues to flash excellent power, with 14 doubles to go along with 20 homers for a .510 slugging percentage in 326 plate appearances. The rookie has a six-game hitting streak going, and is proving to be a far superior option at first base to veteran Ryan Howard.

Cabrera filled up the stat sheet Tuesday, going 3-for-3 with a double, two walks, an RBI, a run, and a steal.

Cabrera's big night against Julio Teheran and the Braves was not enough, as the Mets lost 5-4. Cabrera now has 29 doubles and five steals on the year to go along with his .279 batting average. He's only managed 50 RBI in the Mets' struggling offense despite a career-best .470 slugging percentage.

Howard (knee) will be held out of the lineup Wednesday, but is available to pinch hit, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Some reports cropped up that Howard may not be injured anymore, but manager Pete Mackanin seems content with keeping him on the bench for the time being so that the slugger's knee doesn't flare up and spoil his last hurrah in Philadelphia. Howard could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday when the Phillies face right-hander Seth Lugo and the Mets, but in the meantime, Tommy Joseph will continue to see starts at first base.

Flores (wrist) received another cortisone shot Monday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Flores first received a cortisone shot Friday, but it seems the infielder needed another one to ease the pain in his wrist. These shots typically take a few days to get the players back to game preparedness, so Flores could return to the lineup later this week if all goes as planned.

Howard (knee) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox.

Howard had told reporters that he was aiming for a Tuesday return, but evidently the knee is still presenting issues as Tommy Joseph is slated to start at first base again for Philadelphia. Regardless, Howard seems confident that he will be able to return at some point soon as he looks to finish his farewell tour with the club on a high note.

Freeman went 4-for-5 with a double, a homer, three RBI and two runs against the Mets on Monday.

The Braves, still short of 60 wins, are left playing spoiler at this point, and Freeman's monstrous game helped them spoil the Mets' momentum in this one. The star first baseman now has a 23-game hitting streak going, and his numbers during that streak are outstanding -- a .367 average with five homers, 22 RBI and 18 runs. Fantasy owners who worried that the Braves' terrible offense would hold Freeman back have mostly been proven wrong; no, he probably won't get to 100 RBI, but the lefty slugger now has 31 homers and 41 doubles to go with his .302 average, and he might just score 100 runs for the first time.

Goldschmidt is not in the lineup Monday against the Padres, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Goldschmidt hasn't gotten a day off since the end of August, so he'll take a seat to rest for Monday's series opener. Kyle Jensen will fill in for the 29-year-old for the evening, but you can expect Goldy to reenter the lineup Tuesday and likely stay there for the rest of the season.

Howard, who is day-to-day with a left knee injury, told reporters he could be ready to play by Tuesday, Stephen Gross of the Philadelphia Morning Call reports.

Howard was a late scratch from Saturday's lineup and was once again held out in Sunday's series finale. The team had a day off Monday, and the veteran first baseman is optimistic that will give him enough rest to be ready to return Tuesday. Until Howard resurfaces, Tommy Joseph should see regular starts at first base.