MLB Player News

Rizzo went off in Arizona on Thursday, going 3-for-6 with a triple, a homer, six RBI and three runs.

Yeah, that's the stuff. Three games into the season, Rizzo already has two homers, nine RBI and more walks (three) than strikeouts (two). Last season's 17 steals seem unlikely to be repeated, but it wouldn't at all be surprising to see Rizzo set new career marks in homers and batting average this year.

Abreu went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Thursday's win over the Athletics.

Abreu's two-run homer off Kendall Graveman in the sixth inning broke up a scoreless pitching duel and led to a series victory for the White Sox. After being held mostly in check during the White Sox first three games, with no RBIs and five strikeouts, Abreu finally flashed the form that's made him one of the game's premier hitters, lashing a 91 mph sinker just over the scoreboard in right field. He notched a third RBI with a sacrifice fly in the ninth, MLB.com reports.

Howard went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Thursday's loss to the Reds. His two-run homer in the fifth inning off rookie Robert Stephenson was Howard's first of the season.

Howard is hitting .333 (3-for-9) with one home run and two RBI through the team's first four games. Last season, the first baseman hit a dismal .194 in April, so it is encouraging to see him start the 2016 campaign with some success. The 36-year-old is well past him prime, but Howard still has the power to make a significant impact in any format.

Carter went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's win against the Giants.

It was Carter's first homer as a Brewer. After enjoying his best season as a pro in 2014, the first baseman took a big step backward last season due to an inability to make consistent contact and a high strikeout rate. Through his first three games with Milwaukee, Carter already has the sort of stats you'd expect from him -- he's 2-for-9 (.222) with a home run, three RBI and three strikeouts.

Howard is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

As expected, Darin Ruf will replace Howard in the lineup Wednesday with the Phillies facing Cincinnati lefty Brandon Finnegan. Unless Howard has an unexpected turnaround against left-handed pitching, expect Howard to sit out in place of Ruf on most days where Philadelphia faces a southpaw.

Amador hit .346/.436/.742 with 41 home runs and 117 RBI over 103 games with Diablos Rojos del Mexico of the Mexican League last season.

Amador, who was a dark-horse for the Astros' Opening Day first base job in 2014, posted a ridiculous 1.177 OPS against Mexican League pitching last year, but there haven't been any reports that he'll return to the states in 2016.

Goldschmidt homered and drove in four runs in a 2-for-4 effort in Tuesday's win over Colorado.

Goldschmidt also tripled, which will help take the sting out of an 0-for-4 Opening Day line. Even with his brilliance last season, Goldschmidt had just four games with a home run and another extra-base hit in 2015, so this was a huge game for the Arizona first baseman.

Colabello is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rays, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

Colabello has gotten off to a rocky start, going 0-for-7 with four strikeouts over the first two games, so a day off might not be the worst thing for the 32-year-old. Justin Smoak will draw the start at first base in his stead and bat sixth.

Manager Pete Mackanin confirmed Friday that Howard will open the year in a platoon with Darin Ruf at first base, Corey Seidman of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Howard will start at first on Opening Day for the Phillies, but will sit in their second game Wednesday against the Reds. He will get the majority of the at-bats since he is on the strong side of the platoon. Howard had an .802 OPS and 20 home runs in 367 at-bats against right handed pitching last season.

Rizzo is slashing .304/.404/.587 this spring.

Rizzo was removed from Tuesday's game a little early, but that was just a precaution. He's been filling the box score all spring, as he has three home runs, two stolen bases, 10 runs, and 12 RBI in just 46 at-bats. He's primed for a big season, and may be the best first baseman on the board after Paul Goldschmidt.