MLB Player News

Abreu went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo solo, his 14th home run of the season, in Sunday's 10-2 loss to the Orioles.

The White Sox only managed four hits on the day, so it's no wonder no one was on base for Abreu's homer. His power numbers on the season are still disappointing but the 29-year-old is now hitting .391 (9-for-23) to begin the month of August with three home runs in six games. There's still time for him to salvage his campaign with a big kick to the finish line.

Joseph is out of the lineup Sunday against the Padres, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

For the second day in a row, Philadelphia will start Ryan Howard at first base over Joseph. Joseph has gone just 3-for-16 (.188) over the last seven days. However, he's managed to post a .381 on-base percentage, as he's drawn four walks in that time.

Carter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Milwaukee's slugger will have the day off, as Andy Wilkins is set to start at first base for Sunday's game. Carter, who's hit two home runs over the last seven days, will likely return to the lineup Monday when the Brewers begin their series against the Braves.

Howard went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo home run in a 9-7 loss to the Padres on Saturday.

The homer was Howard's 16th of the season. He's been surprisingly productive of late in his limited playing time with a .342 average over his last 11 starts and eight homers in his last 22 starts. Despite the improved production, Howard will remain limited to spot starts as the Phillies focus on giving playing time to Tommy Joseph at first base.

Freeman finished 3-for-3, including a three-run homer, in Saturday night's 13-5 win over St. Louis.

The first baseman reached base safely in all five plate appearances, including a pair of walks, but perhaps most importantly, he didn't strikeout a single time after recording 11 strikeouts in his past four games. Despite a 26.6 strikeout percentage, Freeman surpassed his home run total from 2015 with a towering 448 foot shot to center in the third inning -- his 19th of the season, putting him on pace to reach a career-high 30 home runs.

Joseph is not in the lineup Saturday against the Padres, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports.

With righty Paul Clemens on the mound for San Diego, the Phillies will opt to go with lefty Ryan Howard at first base and give Joseph the night off. While Joseph's batting average has held steady at .250 over the last 16 games, the rookie slugger has increased his season OBP nearly 30 points due to the eight walks he's tallied during that time.

Abreu went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored in a loss to the Orioles on Friday.

Abreu went 32 games without a home run before hitting one Thursday, but it took just over 24 hours for him to hit his next one. He has been making good contact lately, so there may be a few more balls flying over the fences over the season's final months.

Bour (ankle) is not expected to rejoin the team until the completion of their road trip, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

That would make Monday's series opener against the Giants the earliest return date for Bour. In five rehab games with Triple-A New Orleans he has gone just 2-for-18 to go along with one walk.

Bour (ankle) is not expected to return Friday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

He's not in the lineup for Friday's matchup against lefty Jorge De La Rosa, and he's not listed on the lineup card as a reserve, so it seems the Marlins will wait at least one more day to activate Bour from the DL. Bour has played in five rehab games with Triple-A New Orleans, going 2-for-18 (both singles) with a walk.

Flores is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.

Flores homered earlier in the week, his 11th on the year, but he's done most of his damage against lefties. The 24-year-old has struggled against right-handers to the tune of a .209/.274/.331 line, and he committed an error at shortstop Wednesday (his second start there this season). It seems Flores may be deployed primarily on the short end of a third-base platoon with Kelly Johnson for the time being -- at least that's the way things are trending.