MLB Player News

Flores will start at third base and bat sixth in the order Sunday against the Dodgers.

Look for Flores to see regular playing time in the immediate future at the corner infield spots, which have been decimated by injuries of late. The 24-year-old has already appeared in 19 games this season (12 starts), and owns a .535 OPS through 55 plate appearances.

Flores (hamstring) was activated by the Mets on Sunday, MLB.com's Joe Trezza reports.

Flores, a shortstop by trade, is expected to see time at the corner infield spots upon his activation. With David Wright (neck) facing a multi-game absence, and Lucas Duda (back) on the DL, Flores will likely be utilized where the team needs him most. He certainly isn't a stranger to those positions, as he's made two starts at first base and five starts at third this year. He may have to compete a bit with the recently-acquired James Loney for some of those reps, but consider Flores a near-lock to start whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound for the opposing team. He could very well hold down that role for some time, especially if Wright requires a DL stint.

Howard is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cubs.

Howard made a return to the lineup Saturday, but will sit again Sunday for the sixth time in the last seven games. Only one of those contests have featured a southpaw on the mound for the opposing team, so it appears manager Pete Mackanin is following through with his assertion from earlier this week regarding the reduction of Howard's role. Despite a storied history in Philly, a .154 batting average simply won't cut it for the first baseman, even if shades of his power (eight home runs) remain an aspect of his game. Tommy Joseph and his .810 OPS will get another start in the afternoon contest.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, home run, two RBI and two runs in Saturday night's one-run victory over the Padres. He also added his sixth stolen base of the season.

Although his average is up a tick from April, Goldschmidt's slugging percentage is more than 100 points lower than it was a month ago. Part of the issue is that opposing pitchers are pitching around him more than ever, as is evident by his career-high walk rate of 20.9 percent. The good news is that history would indicate that his power numbers are on their way as the season pushes into summer.

Votto went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, a run and a strikeout against Milwaukee on Saturday.

It has been a disappointing season for Votto thus far, but the two hits increased his average to .212. The first baseman has hit safely in five of the last six games, so it seems he might be leaving his struggles behind even if the stats don't show that yet.

Flores (hamstring), who is not in the lineup Saturday, could be activated in advance of Sunday's game against the Dodgers, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports.

Flores was expected to be activated in time for Saturday's game, but it appears the Mets will wait an extra day before activating him. The Mets will again turn to Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera up the middle for Saturday's matchup with Kenta Maeda and the Dodgers.

Votto went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Saturday's 9-5 loss to the Brewers.

The 32-year-old enjoyed a rare bright spot in an otherwise miserable season, blasting his fifth homer of May, to go along with a solid 14 RBI. Votto also has hit safely in three straight, but his May has turned out to be even more dismal than his April. The former All-Star is hitting .182 during the current month, with his long-ball prowess serving as about the only redeeming quality of his offense.

Cabrera, who left Wednesday's game against the Nationals with back spasms before he took his first at-bat, is back in the lineup Friday.

Cabrera has been moved up to second in the lineup against the Dodgers uber-prospect Julio Urias while slotting in at his usual shortstop position.

Flores (hamstring) will not be activated from the disabled list prior to Friday's game against the Dodgers, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

The Mets were fairly confident that Flores would be ready to take over at first base Friday, but it seems that they want to give him a bit more time rehabbing in the minor leagues. It doesn't seem to be a health issue, but it could be just a way to get him a few more at-bats prior to coming up to the big leagues. The 24-year-old is hitless over the past two days with Double-A Binghamton, so he'll stay their to get a bit more comfortable at the plate. Despite the minor delay, Flores still seems to be very close to a return to the Mets lineup.

Rizzo is out of Friday's lineup.

He'll get a rare day off for Friday's matinee against the Phillies. Surprisingly, Kris Bryant will get his first start at first base of the season -- a position he has played just once in the big leagues. The Cubs are using Thursday's off day to give players like Rizzo and Jason Heyward a nice two-day rest in advance of a 12-game stretch without an off day.