MLB Player News

Joseph is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, Kevin Cooney of Calkins Media reports.

Joseph will cede the starting first base spot to Ryan Howard, who will bat fifth. Joseph has begun to take over at first base lately due to Howard's struggles at the plate. Manager Pete Mackanin likely moved Howard into the lineup to give Joseph a day off, and to pack the lineup with left-handed hitters against righty starter Kyle Hendricks.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he is nearing a long-term decision regarding playing time at first base for Joseph and Ryan Howard, Corey Seidman of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Mackanin will likely name Joseph his starter at first base. He went 2-for-4 with a solo homer Monday and is now hitting .311 with five home runs since his promotion from the minors last month.

Howard will be back in the lineup Tuesday, according to manager Pete Mackanin, Meghan Montemurro of The News Journal reports.

This will be Howard's first start since May 31, as the Phillies gave Tommy Joseph a chance to prove himself at first base. Mackanin has stated that he will make a decision about how to move forward soon, but with Joseph recording multi-hit games in three of his five starts, it isn't looking good for Howard.

Rizzo is out of the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

The opposing Diamondbacks are sending southpaw Patrick Corbin to the hill, so the timing was right for Rizzo to get just his second day off of the season, as he's hitting just .186 against lefties on the year. Kris Bryant will take over for Rizzo at first base, while Javier Baez gets the nod at the hot corner.

Howard will get a start during the Phillies' series against the Cubs this week, Evan Webeck of MLB.com reports.

Tommy Joseph will make his fifth straight start at first base Sunday, and then will be in the lineup Monday against Jon Lester. Howard will likely start Tuesday. If Joseph keeps hitting, Howard's opportunities will be limited the rest of the season.

Votto went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs scored and a walk in Saturday's 6-3 victory over the Nationals.

The veteran first baseman continued his recent resurgence, one that has seen him lift his average 20 points since May 22. Part of that improvement has been in the power department, as Votto now has four homers over his last nine games. He's also currently riding a six-game hitting streak, and is already slashing .357/.500/.714 over his first 14 at-bats in June.

Joseph went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Brewers.

Joseph continues to generate solid returns in Ryan Howard's stead, now having hit safely in three straight contests. The 24-year-old has four homers over just 53 at-bats, and is slashing .283/.286/.528 for the season. If he's able to maintain his current level of production, he may well hold on to the first base job for the long term.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Saturday's 5-3 victory over Arizona.

After a lackluster May, Rizzo's bat has come alive in June. The 26-year-old slugger has gone 6-for-16 with a double, two homers, three RBI and a pair of walks over four contests in the new month. The pair of round-trippers has been particularly encouraging, considering Rizzo went deep only three times over 100 at-bats during May.

Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Friday's 6-2 victory over the Marlins.

The switch-hitting shorstop was slotted out of the two-hole, and hit safely for the fourth time in the last five games. The homer was his third in the last nine contests, after he'd managed only two on the season prior to May 24. Cabrera is now slashing .275/.333/.404 over 193 at-bats this season.

Flores went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, walk and two runs scored in Friday's 6-2 victory over the Marlins.

The 24-year-old has found success at the plate hard to come by this season, as even Friday's multi-hit effort still leaves his average at a sub-Mendoza-Line .191. Flores may have an opportunity to finally hit his stride in the coming weeks, as he's being given an opportunity to man third base every day while David Wright recovers from a herniated disk in his neck.