MLB Player News

Bell, 23, started in right field for Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, but he is still seeing the bulk of his playing time at first base.

It is pretty clear at this point that Bell's bat is ready for the big leagues (.308/.395/.491 at Triple-A this season), but the Pirates seem to be dealing with an internal struggle as to how to proceed with him defensively. The team clearly thinks his defense at first base is subpar to the point that it negates the offensive upgrade he would provide over John Jaso and David Freese. At the same time, there is nowhere to play him in the outfield at the big league level, so giving him significant reps there at Triple-A doesn't make a lot of sense in the short term. It stands to reason that Bell will join the Pirates when rosters expand in September, but there is no evidence that he will be up before then.

Bour (ankle) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the Giants.

There is not an exact timetable for when Bour could be activated from the DL, but there was thought to be a chance he could return for this series against the Giants, and now we know that won't be the case. The Marlins have an off day Thursday, so his next chance to be activated will be prior to Friday's game against the White Sox. Derek Dietrich will start at first base and hit fifth for Wednesday's series finale against righty Jeff Samardzija.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in a 5-3 win over the Mets on Tuesday.

Goldschmidt has been Mr. Reliable for fantasy owners, posting solid numbers in every category. He has 18 home runs, 14 steals, is batting .295 and has collected 72 RBI and 66 runs scored this season. While his slugging percentage is down a tick to .495 -- following last season's .570 mark -- there's not else much to complain about with the 28-year-old first baseman.

Joseph is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reports.

Ryan Howard will start at first base for Tuesday's outing while Joseph gets the night off. Although Joseph had been Philadelphia's primary starter at first this season, he's been sharing time with Howard much more frequently in recent games.

Joseph went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Monday at Dodger Stadium.

Joseph continues to impress for the young Phillies, with 15 homers through 66 games as a rookie. He should continue batting in the heart of the order moving forward, though that spot loses some of its luster on the league's 29th-ranked offense.

Joseph is back in Monday's lineup against the Dodgers, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

Joseph is just 3-for-14 (.214) in August without an extra-base hit, although he has walked three times. He'll get back in the lineup against Dodgers lefty Julio Urias. Joseph is hitting .300/.364/.550 against lefties this season, so the Phillies will hope seeing another southpaw will help him out of his rough patch.

Bour (ankle) will not return to action for Monday's game against the Giants, reports Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald.

It was announced last week that Bour would be out through the end of the Marlins' road trip, but the Marlins are back at home Monday night, and Bour remains out of the lineup. With Bour still on the disabled list, it's not clear how much longer he will be sidelined.

Joseph is out of the lineup Sunday against the Padres, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

For the second day in a row, Philadelphia will start Ryan Howard at first base over Joseph. Joseph has gone just 3-for-16 (.188) over the last seven days. However, he's managed to post a .381 on-base percentage, as he's drawn four walks in that time.

Carter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Milwaukee's slugger will have the day off, as Andy Wilkins is set to start at first base for Sunday's game. Carter, who's hit two home runs over the last seven days, will likely return to the lineup Monday when the Brewers begin their series against the Braves.

Howard went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo home run in a 9-7 loss to the Padres on Saturday.

The homer was Howard's 16th of the season. He's been surprisingly productive of late in his limited playing time with a .342 average over his last 11 starts and eight homers in his last 22 starts. Despite the improved production, Howard will remain limited to spot starts as the Phillies focus on giving playing time to Tommy Joseph at first base.