MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard went 1 for 4 at the plate in Philadelphia's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals Wednesday. Howard did his only damage of the game in the fourth inning, taking a Carlos Martinez pitch over the right field wall for a solo shot, his fourth of the season.

Howard is now hitting .191 with 10 RBI in 68 at-bats.

Astros first baseman Chris Carter hit a two-run homer off Padres pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne during a 14-3 win Tuesday. He finished 2 for 3 with one walk.

Carter has hit safely in seven straight games. He is batting .346 (9 for 26) with one double, two home runs, six RBI, five runs, five walks and seven strikeouts in that span.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto received his first day off this season Wednesday against the Brewers. He had started the first 20 games.

Kris Negron started for Votto, who is batting .316 with seven home runs and 16 RBI. Votto hit his seventh home run Tuesday against Milwaukee, but he is batting just .105 (2 for 19) in  his last five games.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt came up big at the plate, leading his club to a 12-5 win over Colorado.

Goldschmidt singled in the game's opening run in the first inning, doubled in the fifth and tacked on two more runs on a double in the eighth inning. He finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Goldschmidt recorded his first three-hit performance since his fourth game of the season. He is hitting .315 with five homers, 19 RBI and a .425 on-base percentage through his first 73 at-bats to start the season.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman went 4 for 6 in Tuesday's 13-12 loss to Washington.

Freeman scored three times and hit his sixth double of the year. 

Freeman improved his average to .286. 

Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 2 for 4 in Tuesday's win over Milwaukee. Votto got the Reds on the board with a solo home run in the first, his seventh homer of the season and 16th RBI. 

Votto lifted his average to .316 and snapped a four-game, 15 at bat hitless streak. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has been moved up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order for Tuesday's matchup with the Pirates, while Jorge Soler has been bumped down one spot and is batting third.

It's the third time in a row that manager Joe Maddon has used this configuration against a lefty, with Rizzo batting behind Soler in the team's last eight matchups with a righty. The lefty first baseman actually performed better against lefties last season, hitting .300/.421/.507 with eight home runs in 140 at-bats, and the trend has carried over this April.

The Cubs are favorites (-117) against the Pirates Tuesday.

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, first baseman Carlos Santana and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall all have a pretty good track record against Royals starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, who is on the hill Tuesday for Kansas City.

Kipins is batting .550 (11 for 20) with two home runs, three doubles and nine RBI in his career against Guthrie. While Santana is batting .476 (10 for 21) with two home runs, three doubles and four RBI, and Chisenhall is batting .533 (8 for 15) with one double, one home run and five RBI against the veteran right-hander.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was ejected in Monday night's game against the Nationals.  

As seen by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien, Freeman flipped his helmet and said something to umpire Bill Welke after striking out. He wasn't immediately tossed from the game but earned an ejection soon after. 

Chris Johnson replaced Freeman at first base in the sixth inning. 

Freeman finished 2 for 3 and now has a slash line of .254/.321/.493. 

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores hit just .182 over the season's first 10 games, but credits manager Terry Collins for sticking with him as his bat begins to warm up, per NJ.com.

Flores saw his eight-game hitting streak come to an end in Sunday's loss to the Yankees, but he has raised his average to .276 with three homers - tied for second in the majors among shortstops. 

"I know that everything would come around and I would start doing good," Flores said. "I've had the opportunity to play everyday in the minors and I know how it goes. If I start everyday I know I'm going to hit. Just gotta keep pushing, keep pushing. I have the opportunity to play everyday so that's why I wasn't worried about it."