MLB Player News

Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 in Tuesday's loss to the Astros and now has hits in six straight games.

Over the six-game stretch, Goldschmidt is 10-for-20, and he's bumped his season batting average from .240 to .269 in the process. Given Goldy's track record, it was only a matter of time before his bat heated up. He should be one of fantasy's top contributors the rest of the way.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Monday that Howard has not been benched, but he will lose some playing time to Tommy Joseph moving forward, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Mackanin felt the need to clarify Howard's role after his comments over the weekend about playing Tommy Joseph more were misconstrued by some reporters. Howard was in the lineup Monday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts. He is no longer in a straight platoon with Joseph at first base. The two will share time at the position with Joseph still getting all of the starts against lefties.

Rizzo went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Monday's win against the Dodgers.

The first baseman has now driven in a run in each of his last two games after a brutal 3-for-41 slump. Rizzo has still been a strong run producer despite his struggles at the plate this year, recording 11 home runs and driving in 37 batters. He should propel his average closer to last season's .278 in short order.

Bour is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.

Bour will be held out Monday with the Marlins employing a righty-heavy lineup against Pirates starter Jeff Locke. Chris Johnson will get the start at first base in Bour's place.

Howard will start at first base and bat cleanup Monday against the Nationals, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Howard will get what will be just his second start in the last eight games for the Phillies, as Tommy Joseph continues to see the majority of the starts at first base. A .154 batting average and 33.1 percent strikeout rate has made Howard more of an offensive liability in the early parts of 2016, so Monday's move doesn't necessarily mean he'll be in line for more playing time any time soon.

Joseph is out of the lineup Monday against the Nationals, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Joseph has been stealing meaningful playing time from Ryan Howard of late, starting six of the previous seven games at first base. He'll get the day off Monday, however, while Howard bats cleanup in the order against right-hander Tanner Roark.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Joseph will see more playing time against right-handed pitching moving forward, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports. "We brought Joseph up here for a reason, to get a look at him," Mackanin said. "I can't let him stagnate on the bench like (Darin) Ruf ended up doing, so he's going to face some right-handed pitchers to keep his timing."

Mackanin's comment makes it sound like this will be a time share at first base and not full-time at-bats for Joseph. Given Ryan Howard's struggles this season and impending free agency, it would make sense for Joseph to see the majority of the starts moving forward. Joseph is hitting .286/.289/.571 with three home runs in 35 at-bats since his promotion from Triple-A.

Joseph got the start at first base Sunday against right-hander John Lackey and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and a solo shot, his third home run of the season.

The home run actually came against reliever Justin Grimm, but it's still encouraging to see Joseph in the starting lineup when he doesn't have the platoon advantage. The Phillies have overachieved so far in 2016 but are still in the middle of a rebuild, so expect them to continue phasing out Ryan Howard and giving Joseph every chance to establish himself as an everyday player.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he will continue to reduce Howard's playing time in order to look more at Tommy Joseph, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard has had dwindling production, while Joseph is slashing .286/.289/.571 in his first 35 major league at-bats. For comparison, the veteran Howard has slashed .154/.219/.346 over 136 at-bats in 2016. Mackanin noted that he'll start Joseph against right-handed starters, but is unsure of who he'll choose to start against lefties.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a walk and a strikeout against San Diego on Sunday.

Goldschmidt's average remains a paltry (for his standards) .257, but he remains a major threat at the plate due to his power and ability to get on base at a high clip. The first baseman has hit safely in eight of the past nine games for a .400 average over that span, so he's beginning to show the form he's evidenced over the past three seasons.