MLB Player News

Manager Pete Mackanin indicated Howard's role will be reduced moving forward, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard has been in the lineup more frequently of late due to improved production at the plate. However, he will be a free agent after the season and the Phillies are looking toward the future. Manager Pete Mackanin said he wants to see Tommy Joseph get more at-bats against right-handed pitching next month.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he intends to play Joseph more frequently over the remainder of the season, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Ryan Howard had seen an increase in playing time of late, but that trend will not continue. Mackanin said he wants to see Joseph get plenty of at-bats against right-handed pitching next month.

Cabrera (knee) went 2-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer in a return to the lineup Tuesday before being lifted for a defensive sub late in the game.

Cabrera's bomb came in the bottom of the first inning after leadoff man Jose Reyes singled to get things going. The bomb was Cabrera's 17th of the season, and raised his batting line to .273/.324/.453. The Mets' brutal offense, ranking 28th in the MLB in runs scored, has dragged down some of Cabrera's numbers: he has just 44 RBI and 48 runs scored despite playing basically everyday.

Cron blasted two home runs in a 2-for-4 game with three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

Cron extended his hitting streak to seven games with the effort and now has three home runs over his past two games. He's now up to 14 home runs in just 87 games and should have no problem blowing past his career high of 16 home runs set last year (in 113 games) if he gets regular playing time down the stretch. Cron posted a .439 slugging percentage last year, a mark that clearly wouldn't pass muster given his lack of other tools. He's up to .498 this season, and even though he has shown lackluster plate discipline (5.5 percent walk rate, .337 OBP), his power is looking like it will be enough to make him a productive major leaguer.

Howard went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and two strikeouts in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Nationals.

Howard's homer provided all of Philadelphia's offense in this one, as the rest of the lineup managed just two hits against Nationals ace Max Scherzer. The veteran first baseman reached the 20-homer mark for the third straight season, but his 31.3 percent strikeout rate makes him an extremely hit-or-miss option.

Rizzo went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.

Rizzo's first-inning blast was his 26th of the season, but just his second this month and first since Aug. 14. Despite the dip in power, the first baseman has been racking up the hits this month, going 36-for-108 (.333) in August to raise his season's average to .294.

Gurriel is out of Tuesday's lineup against Oakland, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gurriel had been starting to find his rhythm at the plate recently, as he's gone 6-for-14 over the last four games. The 32-year-old rookie will get the night off as Alex Bregman starts at third base and Evan Gattis serves as the DH.

Cabrera (knee) is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.

After getting the day off Monday to rest his sore knee, Cabrera returns to the lineup for Tuesday's divisional matchup. Cabrera will bat second in the order and start at shortstop. His return to the lineup will slide Jose Reyes back over to third base and bump Kelly Johnson back to the bench.

Cron went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs and two RBI in Monday's 9-2 win over the Reds.

Cron was one of four Angels to leave the yard against Reds starter Dan Straily. The 26-year-old has strung together consecutive three-hit games, and is beginning to solidify himself as the clean-up hitter in Los Angeles. That's a valuable role with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols occupying the two preceding lineup spots.

Bell homered, walked twice and scored two runs in a 1-for-2 game in Monday's extra-innings loss to the Cubs.

Bell is on fire since returning August 20, with a 7:2 BB:K and three extra-base hits in 10 games. Sean Rodriguez has done well this year, with a .252/.333/.486 batting line, but Bell has been too good for the Pirates to keep him out of the lineup. His season line is now up to an absurd .407/.541/.704.