MLB Player News

GM Matt Klentak said that the Phillies are not ready to give up on Joseph after just 90 plate appearances this season, Corey Seidman of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Joseph is hitting just .207/.267/.341 with two homers this season, and Rhys Hoskins is raking at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, prompting questions from the media about when his time will come. Joseph has seen his strikeout rate rise from 21.6 percent last season to 27.8 percent this season, which has contributed to his season-long slump. He went through stretches last season where he was striking out at a similar clip, but would have months where he adjusted and dropped his strikeout rate into the mid or high teens. He'll need to make those kinds of adjustments again in the next month or so before the Phillies reconsider giving Hoskins a shot. Joseph has shown some signs of coming out of his slump with a .267/.364/.579 slash line over his last seven games.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Marlins, Michael Baron of SNY reports.

It appears to be just a normal off day for Cabrera, as Jose Reyes will get the start at shortstop. He's expected to be back in the lineup Saturday, but with manager Terry Collins considering a position swap for Cabrera and Reyes, it may not necessarily be at shortstop.

The Mets have considered moving Cabrera to third base and Jose Reyes to shortstop, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Cabrera is hitting just .248/.327/.366 on the year, and ongoing knee issues may be contributing to declining work in the field. Manager Terry Collins recently said Reyes "hates" manning third base, though the 33-year-old infielder disputes that notion. However, the club is hesitant to force Cabrera to switch positions because it's believed he's against the idea. If New York tries the swap even for a brief stretch, though, it could cement both players' dual eligibility for this and, if it sticks, next season.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Thursday's loss to Washington.

The home run was Goldschmidt's fifth of the season, and he's now up to 22 runs, 21 RBI and eight stolen bases with a .311/.454/.524 slash line for the campaign. The dip in his slugging percentage is mildly concerning, and it might be the continuation of a trend after Goldschmidt hit just 24 long flies last year. However, his five-category profile remains extremely valuable, and he's a power outburst away from silencing those doubts.

Votto went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs during Thursday's win over Pittsburgh.

It's been a monster start to the season for Votto, as the first baseman is up to 22 runs, nine home runs and 24 RBI with a .270/.375/.610 slash line. Considering he's historically been a slow starter and a better hitter in the second half, 2017 is shaping up to be another banner campaign for Votto.

Hoskins is hitting .333/.429/.643 with seven home runs in 84 at-bats for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Hoskins leads the International League in home runs and is showing that last year's power outburst wasn't just a product of playing half his games in a homer-friendly ballpark at Double-A Reading. He's also cut back on his strikeout rate thus far, going from 21.2 percent last season to 16.3 percent this year while also seeing his walk rate tick up a point. Tommy Joseph has struggled to get things going this season, but a change at first base in Philly doesn't seem imminent. If Hoskins keeps hitting he could get a look in the majors this summer, assuming Joseph doesn't come out of his funk.

Calhoun went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Mariners.

His shot off Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning, his fourth long ball of the year, brought the Angels to within one run, but his teammates couldn't complete the comeback. Calhoun has now homered in three straight games and has five multi-hit performances in the last week, giving him an impressive .353/.371/.647 slash line over that seven-game stretch.

Abreu went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Royals.

Abreu knocked his third homer of the season, all coming in the last nine games, a stretch in which he's hit .400 (14-for-35) with six extra-base hits. The 30-year-old has broken out of his April slump.

Tellez, 22, is slashing just .198/.298/.333 with three home runs and eight RBI through 21 games for Triple-A Buffalo.

Edwin Encarnacion is long gone and Justin Smoak has been merely adequate, but this is not the type of start that will get the Blue Jays thinking of handing Tellez the keys to first base. Tellez remains the first baseman of the future for the Jays, but a call-up is anything but imminent.

Joseph is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Joseph had benefited from a three-game stretch of starts against left-handed starting pitching, during which he went 2-for-10 with a homer and four RBI. That good fortune will come to an end Wednesday with right-hander Jake Arrieta on the bump for the Cubs, and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin will move Joseph to the bench in favor of the lefty-hitting Brock Stassi as a result. Joseph still projects to see most of the starts against right-handed pitching, but his miserable .192/.250/.315 batting line through 80 plate appearances on the season likely gives him a shorter leash than he had heading into the campaign.