MLB Player News

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies. Goldschmidt is getting his first day off since May 21. In other words, he had started 92 straight games prior  to Wednesday.

The MVP candidate is batting .265 with three home runs over his last 10 games. With Goldschmidt out, Jake Lamb is making his second career-start at first base.

Goldschmidt is expected to return to the lineup Friday after attending the birth of his child.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will not play in Wednesday's game after leaving the team due to a family emergency, reports The Wall Street Journal. Flores is expected to rejoin the team for Friday's contest in Miami.

Mets second baseman Wilmer Flores did his best Monday to upstage teammate David Wright, who was returning after losing four months to a back injury.

Wright hit a homer in the shellacking of Philadelphia, but Flores slugged two. He slammed a two-run blast in the fourth and three-run job in the fifth. He also doubled and scored in the sixth.

His fine game sweetened his slash line on the year to .265/.298/.418.

Veteran first baseman Ryan Howard is back in the cleanup spot for the Phillies on Monday after not playing in the last two contests. 

Howard has been out of the Phillies lineup in five of the last six games, with Jeff Francoeur taking his familiar No. 4 spot in the lineup. Part of that is due to Philadelphia's youth movement and part of it had to do with the team facing four left-handed pitchers. 

"I'm ready to get back in there," Howard told the Philadelphia Daily News. "Ready to get home and try to get back after it."

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt wasn't going to stay quiet for long. The MVP candidate broke out of a slump in a big way on Saturday, as he went 4 for 5 in the 11-7 win over the Reds.

Goldschmidt hit two home runs, drove in four runs, scored three and even stole a base, as he filled up the box score on Saturday. He launched a two-run home run in the first inning to give the D-Backs an early 3-0 lead. He added another two-run shot in the seventh, giving him 24 longballs on the year.

He also stole his 20th base, giving him his first-career 20-20 season.

Goldschmidt had gone 22 games since his previous home run, which came back on July 27.

Rockies first baseman Ben Paulsen isn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game. Paulsen has started 55 games, including the last seven. 

Paulsen is being replaced in the lineup by Matt McBride, who gets his second start of the season at the position. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 3 for 5 with a run scored and two RBI in Friday's win over Miami.

Howard had his first three-hit game since August 1 and hit three doubles, giving him six total bases for the first time since July 25. 

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has officially been activated from the 15-day disabled list, and is in Wednesday's starting lineup against the Padres. Freeman has been out since early August with an oblique strain.

Freeman has played in just 76 games this season, as he also missed time earlier this year with a wrist injury. 

He is batting third against the Padres on Wednesday. 

The Braves sent infielder Joey Terdoslavich down to Triple-A following Tuesday's loss to the Padres, the team announced. Terdoslavich is hitting .214 in 56 at-bats this season.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman joined the team in San Diego on Tuesday, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Freeman had been on a minor league rehab assignment, as he recovers from an oblique injury that landed him on the disabled list. He is expected to be activated from the DL on Wednesday.