MLB Player News

Bell is hitting second in the Pirates' Friday lineup against the Braves.

The first baseman hit seventh and eighth, respectively, over Pittsburgh's first two games, but those came with the designated hitter in Boston's Fenway Park. This may wind up as Bell's normal spot in the order against right-handed hurlers in National League stadiums. Considering the questions surrounding his power, adding as many plate appearances as possible to his otherwise disciplined skills at the dish will work toward maximizing his value.

Flores went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Braves.

Starting in place of Lucas Duda at first base, Flores picked an excellent time to get his first hit of the young season. The utility man parked a 2-2 offering from Jaime Garcia in the left-field seats to open up a lead the Mets wouldn't relinquish. Flores isn't expected to be an everyday player, but this performance along with his versatility should give him a decent amount of usage throughout the season.

Diaz went 2-for-4 and scored twice in Wednesday's win over the Rangers.

In addition to crossing the plate for the second and third times this season, Diaz also struck out for the third consecutive contest. He's off to a decent start while holding down the extra infield spot with Jason Kipnis (shoulder) out, but there may not be enough opportunities to feed Diaz once the former returns.

Bour is in the lineup Thursday, hitting seventh and playing first base, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

It's promising that Bour is not riding the pine with a left-handed pitcher, the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, taking the hill. Bour has power for days but failed to leave the yard against a southpaw in 30 at-bats last year. This assignment, however, may signal that the Marlins want to expose him more to lefties in order to facilitate his growth.

The Braves signed Howard to a minor-league deal Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. Howard will participate in extended spring training before reporting to Triple-A Gwinnett.

With Freddie Freeman locked in as a franchise player at first base, Howard didn't exactly join a spot that puts him on the fast track to the bigs. Still, Atlanta could have worse organizational depth pieces than someone who hit 23-plus home runs in the previous three seasons. The 2006 National League MVP must wait for an opportunity, though it may come as a bench bopper or as a designated hitter in interleague play at American League parks. The latter avenue could serve as a teaser before Atlanta uses him as trade bait for AL clubs later in the season.

Joseph is out of the lineup Thursday against the Reds, MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports.

It's been a rocky start to the year for Joseph, who is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in his first two games. He'll take a seat Thursday in favor of Brock Stassi, who will be making the first start of his MLB career.

Cron went 2-for-4 with a run in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the A's.

Cron was back in the lineup Wednesday after getting the night off Tuesday with southpaw Sean Manaea on the mound. The 27-year-old first baseman scored the first run of the game for the Angels when he came home on a second-inning Andrelton Simmons double, and he's now reached safely in four of his eight 2017 plate appearances. Cron should have plenty of RBI opportunities this season if he can stay healthy, considering he'll usually follow the potent trio of Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the order. He amassed career highs in doubles (25), triples (2), RBI (69) and batting average (.278) last season while matching a personal-best 16 home runs.

Calhoun went 3-for-5 with a run in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the A's.

Calhoun was a table-setter out of the No. 2 hole and initiated Jharel Cotton's fifth-inning exit with the first of three consecutive singles by the Angels. The 29-year-old outfielder eventually came around to score on an Albert Pujols single for the final run of the night, and he's opened the 2017 season by hitting safely and scoring in each of the first three games.

Votto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Phillies.

He ended Jerad Eickhoff's shutout bid by crushing a hanging breaking ball to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, providing Brandon Finnegan with all the offense he would need on the night. Votto has hit 29 homers in each of the last two seasons, but the rock-steady slugger will need the Reds' offense to improve around him if he's going to reach the 100-RBI plateau for the first time since 2011.

Joseph went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-0 loss to the Reds.

After going 0-for-4 with two Ks in the Phillies' opener, it's safe to say this isn't the way Joseph wanted to begin the season. The 25-year-old improved his strikeout rate in the second half of 2016, so don't overreact to a couple of bad games right out of the gate. If Joseph's struggles continue into May, though, Rhys Hoskins does loom behind him on the organizational depth chart.