MLB Player News

Marlins first baseman Justin Bour went 3 for 5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs in Friday's win over Atlanta.

Bour has been on a tear as of late, mashing eight homers and driving in 27 runs over the past month. Though patience remains a weakness, he has managed a dismal 7.7% BB rate this season, Bour may be worth a spot in the lineup simply as a means to tap into that power. Since the All-Star break, Bour ranks among the top 10 first basemen in the league in homers and RBI.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 3 for 4 with a homer, a walk, two RBI and three runs in Friday's loss to Miami.

After struggling to stay in the lineup for stretches this season, Freeman is turning up the heat during fantasy crunch time. He has driven in 14 runs in his past 15 games, batting .280 with a .403 OBP. He ranks among the top six first basemen in the league in doubles, RBI and walks for the month of September.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (knee) took batting practice Friday, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports.

It's the first time that Howard swung in batting practice since being sidelined with a knee injury on Sept. 14. The 35-year-old is still hoping to return before the end of the season, but there's still no clear timetable. Darin Ruf figures to continue filling in at first base in his absence.

Phillies veteran first baseman Ryan Howard is expected to resume hitting and fielding ground balls this weekend, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Howard has been sidelined since Sept. 14 with a knee injury. He is making an attempt to return, but the Phillies won't push him with nothing to play for this season. Darin Ruf will continue to see playing time at first for as long as Howard remains sidelined.

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera went 3 for 5 with his 13th homer and two runs scored against the Red Sox on Wednesday.

That white-hot streak Cabrera experienced after coming off the DL unsurprisingly passed into memory quite some time ago; thus, this was both his first multi-hit effort and his first homer since Sept. 11 -- also against the Red Sox. Cabrera hasn't been a huge fantasy asset outside AL-only formats, but this has nonetheless been his best season since 2012.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman didn't start Wednesday against the Mets due to a wrist injury, but hit a pinch-hit two-run double, then remained in the game and hit the game-winning three-run homer in the ninth inning.

Seems like that wrist's feeling just fine. The Braves have a day off Thursday, and Freeman's expected to be in the lineup for the start of a three-game series in Miami on Friday.

Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun hit his 24th home run Wednesday, going 2 for 5 with two RBI in a 6-5 win over the Astros.

Calhoun's performance Wednesday put an end to a two week slump, as the 27-year-old entered the game on a 5 for 45 skid. It's been an up and down year for Calhoun, who has posted a career-high home run total but seen his strikeout and walk rates regress.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is out of the lineup Wednesday with a sore wrist, but is available off the bench, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan reports. 

While Freeman did miss more than a month earlier this season with a wrist injury, it doesn't sound like the Braves are especially concerned with this setback, as manager Fredi Gonzalez said he expects Freeman to return for Friday's series opener in Miami. Nick Swisher will man first base and bat third in Freeman's absence.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Mets. 

Just seems to be a night-off for Freeman, who's batting .250/.409/.353 with one home run and nine RBI in the month of September.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 4 with his 30th home run of the season Tuesday in a win over the Dodgers.

Goldschmidt tops the 30 home run mark for the second time in his career. While his .286/.409/.488 line in the second half represents a swoon only compared to his first half dominance, it's worth remembering that he only played 109 games due to injury last year, so fatigue may be a factor as he closes out the season.

With six more runs scored, Goldschmidt can join Jose Bautista (and eventually Bryce Harper) as the only hitters this year with more than 30 home runs, 100 runs, RBI, and walks.