MLB Player News

Howard went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and two strikeouts against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Well, aside from the .333 batting average, that's Howard in a nutshell -- of his 87 at-bats this season, a whopping 41 have ended in either a homer (seven) or a strikeout (34). He's homered in consecutive games, but he's also posted five straight multi-strikeout games as part of a streak of 12 straight games with a whiff. Those fantasy owners willing to hold their noses and play Howard for the homers should know full well what they're getting into by now.

Abreu's two-run homer in the first inning Wednesday accounted for all the White Sox's offense in a 5-2 loss to the Red Sox. He also drew a walk.

While Abreu's been racking up hits of late -- he's gone 14-for-32 (.438) with 10 RBI over the course of an eight-game hitting streak -- his power had been missing in action for a couple weeks, as Abreu hadn't homered since April 19. His numbers are still subpar (.255 and only four homers), but there's no reason to think Abreu shouldn't end up right around 30 homers and 100 RBI again this year.

Rizzo went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs in the 6-2 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon.

The Cubs first baseman had an extremely slow start to the season, but he has three straight multi-hit games. Rizzo has also reached safely in 11 of his last 12 games. Despite the poor batting average, Rizzo has been on base and hitting home runs all season long. He has nine home runs, a .467 on-base percentage and 1.159 OPS in 96 at-bats this season.

Bour (finger) is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Diamondbacks, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Bour dislocated his left pinky finger in Tuesday's contest and it appears that it hasn't healed enough to get him back into the lineup for Wednesday's matchup. He'll remain day-to-day with his next opportunity to return coming Thursday for the series finale against Arizona. Derek Dietrich will fill in for him at first base Wednesday.

Shaw is absolutely crushing the ball of late, slashing .487/.565/1.179 over his past 10 games.

The Giants' 2015 first-round pick has picked up where he left off last season, now against better competition in High-A ball. With a 9:19 BB:K rate, his plate discipline is not bad for a power hitter. His season line now sits at a gaudy .372/.439/.663.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run in Tuesday's win against the Pirates.

Although his batting average is down, the 26-year-old first baseman is demonstrating growth in a majority of offensive categories. Through 91 at-bats, Rizzo is walking more, striking out less, making more contact and hitting for more power than he ever has. The only thing holding him back is a .206 BABIP, which should eventually work its way back near his career .284 average.

Abreu went 2-for-3 with a double and triple in the White Sox's win over the Red Sox on Tuesday.

The two extra-base hits helped Abreu drive in three of the team's four runs in the win. He now has a hit in seven straight games, and six of those contests have been multi-hit affairs. The home runs have yet to come in vast numbers, but it looks like his bat is beginning to come around.

Howard hit his a solo home run, his sixth, in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals.

The home run accounted for the only run of the game. Howard has been hitting for solid power this year, as his .226 isolated power would be his best since 2011, but he is striking out more than ever (34 percent) and will struggle to even reach the Mendoza Line if he can't make more contact.

Carter hit two home runs in Tuesday's win over the Angels, his eighth and ninth of the season.

Carter is slugging a ridiculous .713 as the cozy Miller Park seems to be working quite well with his swing. Eight of Carter's nine homers have come in Milwaukee, which had the highest home run park factor in the league last year according to ESPN. Carter is now on pace for 56 home runs, and while that's probably a touch unrealistic, this start gives him a solid chance to challenge his career high of 37, set in 2014 with Houston.

Bour dislocated his left pinky while sliding into a base and is considered day-to-day, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Bour didn't even start Tuesday's contest, entering the game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter. Fortunately, he avoided a fracture that would likely cost him extended time. He will have a chance to return to the lineup as soon as Wednesday but would likely be replaced at first by either Chris Johnson or Derek Dietrich should he be unable to go.