MLB Player News

Howard is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Saturday that he was considering holding the slumping Howard out Sunday, and it turns out he will indeed do just that. Tommy Joseph will get the start at first base in place of Howard, who is just 4-for-44 (.091) through 16 games this month.

Carter is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.

Carter tallied three home runs and nine RBI in his last eight games, but he also struck out 11 times in his past four contests, so manager Craig Counsell decided it was time for a day off. Ramon Flores will get the start at first base in Carter's place.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he might sit Howard against a right-handed pitcher Sunday, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "I might give [Tommy] Joseph a start [Sunday] just to clear Howie's head just a little bit," Mackanin said.

Howard went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts Saturday before he was pinch-hit for in the seventh inning. He's hitting just .161 with eight home runs this season, while his strikeout rate has increased after he had been making small improvements the last three years. He's also been a bit unlucky with a .162 BABIP. For now, the Phillies remain committed to a platoon at first base, but if Howard's struggles continue, the team could start to reduce his role further.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he might give Joseph a start against a right-handed pitcher Sunday, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Mackanin isn't moving away from the platoon at first base with Ryan Howard. Rather, Mackanin wants to get Howard, who is hitting .161 this season, a day to clear his head. Joseph is also expected to start at first base with Howard shifting to DH during the Phillies' three-game series in Detroit starting Monday.

Bour went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and two walks Saturday against the Nationals.

Bour's eighth homer broke up a tie game in the sixth inning and provided the winning runs for the Nationals. He's now left the yard in three of his last seven contests to raise his slugging percentage to .478.

Flores (hamstring) will begin a rehab stint Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Flores hit the DL earlier in the month with a strained left hamstring, but he appears to be progressing at a fairly quick pace. Barring a setback during rehab, Flores figures to have a good chance to return when first eligible Friday.

Freeman was 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and four RBI as the Braves defeated Philadelphia on Friday night.

Freeman is hitting a respectable .272 on the year, but despite having eight home runs, he has driven in just 15 as the sputtering Atlanta offense often fails to provide him many RBI chances. Perhaps Ender Inciarte and Gordon Beckham who are just returning from injuries will provide more baserunners in front of him going forward.

Carter was 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a losing effort against the Mets on Friday night.

His two-run shot in the first inning put the Brewers in front, but that was all the offense they could muster. While his batting average (.247) is not a fantasy asset, his 13 home runs and 31 RBI hitting in the middle of the Milwaukee lineup are certainly useful.

Votto accounted for the Reds' two runs Thursday against the Indians with a two-run homer, his sixth of the season.

Votto has had a rough season so far, hitting just .215/.353/.378. He's still walking frequently (15.6%), but his strikeout rate is through the roof, at 26.9%.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI in Tuesday's win over the Yankees. He also stole two bases.

Goldschmidt entered the game with just two hits in his previous 18 at-bats (.111 average), so the multi-hit effort was nice to see. Goldy is still hitting just .232 this season, which is well below his .295 career mark. However, he's posting a solid .849 OPS, and the slugger's track record suggests better days are ahead.