MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (knee) is unlikely to return this season, Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. 

Howard has been out since Sept. 14 after he was struck by a line drive while playing in the field. He eventually had to go to the emergency room to get his knee drained, but was optimistic he could return to the lineup sometime the following week.

That optimism has clearly faded as Howard has still not taken batting practice since the injury, prompting Lawrence to believe Howard's season is likely over.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (knee) will be reevaluated Tuesday, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. 

The Phillies have a day off Monday. If Howard does not begin taking batting practice this week, the Phillies could decide to shut him down for the rest of the season. He has been sidelined since last Monday after taking a ball off his knee while playing in the field.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees.

Flores continues to share starts with Ruben Tejada at shortstop, and it's Tejada's turn to start again Sunday. Tejada will lead off for the Mets in place of Flores.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was 1 for 3 with a go-ahead two-RBI double in the eighth inning in a 2-1 victory over the Phillies on Saturday. He also drew a walk.

Freeman appears to slowly but surely be gaining some momentum at the plate as the season winds down. He has reached base safely in nine of the last 10 contests and now has four multi-hit outings in September. When hasn't been getting on with base hits, Freeman has been busy drawing walks, with the 26-year-old first baseman now the recipient of 15 free passes during the month. Freeman's OBP, slugging, and OPS numbers are also all up from an anemic August in which he only mustered a .231 average.

Angels designated hitter C.J. Cron is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Twins, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Besides Cron, catcher Carlos Perez is the only other Angels regular out of the lineup for Saturday's nightcap. Cron went 0-for-6 with an RBI and two strikeouts in Game 1.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (knee) remains out of the lineup Saturday against the Braves, Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The team suggested Friday that Howard would likely only see action as a pinch-hitter over the weekend, but that didn't materialize in Friday's game. Howard will now be out of the lineup for a fourth straight game, as Darin Ruf picks up another start at first base.

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (knee) is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports.

This is a bit earlier than expected, considering Cabrera is only starting baseball activities now after leaving a game last Tuesday due to his knee strain. Assuming he's 100 percent Cabrera figures to retake his everyday shortstop role.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 2 for 2 with two walks and a run scored in a 2-0 win over San Francisco on Friday. The on-base percentage continues to rise for the All-Star first baseman, as he is now at .435.

Over the last 11 games, Goldy has been in a bit of a mini-slump, as he's hitting just .263 with one home run and three RBI. In any case, he's still having an MVP-type season and may be in line to be the number one pick in fantasy next year.

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter went 1 for 3 with a solo home run in a 4-3 loss to Oakland on Friday.

It's been a rough year for Carter, as he's hitting just .186. The power is not dreadful though, as he has 19 home runs and 55 RBI to go along with a .299 OBP. Carter has lost almost all of his mixed-league relevancy and his value is limited to AL-only formats at this juncture. With only 15 appearances recording at least two at-bats over the last two months, he's even losing value in the most shallow of formats.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana went 1 for 4 with a grand slam home run in the Indians' win over the White Sox on Friday night.

If you're only going to collect one hit, popping one over the fence with the bases loaded against a pitcher like Chris Sale is making the most of it. Santana now has 16 long ones and 72 RBI, but hasn't done much in the average department at .237 for the year. Most damaging from a fantasy perspective is the fact that he will lose catcher and third base eligibility next season.