MLB Player News

Diamondbacks All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 1 for 4 with his 10th home run of the season in Saturday's loss to the Phillies. Goldschmidt's two-run shot came in the top of the fifth to cut his team's deficit to 4-3.

Goldschmidt now has six hits (four for extra bases) in his last seven games. 

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores hit his second career grandslam, as the Mets pulverised the Brewers 14-1 on Saturday. Flores' slam was his team-leading sixth home run of the season and came during the team's 10-run fourth inning.

"I was looking for something up," Flores said to NJ.com. "It was a fastball. He threw it right down the middle, and I was ready for it. I put a good swing on it.

"A good feeling," he said of hitting his team-best sixth home run of the year. "Every time you hit a homer it's a good feeling, but with the bases loaded and in this situation, it feels good. As a team and for myself."

Flores, who went 2 for 4 with four RBI on Saturday, is now hitting .250 on the season as he continues to be the Mets' primary option at short.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores has struggled on defense so far this season. Manager Terry Collins was hoping his bat would step up, but instead he's struggled there as well, according to ESPN.com.

"If he had 11 home runs and was hitting .285 right now, there would not even be a discussion," Collins said. "He'd be driving in a lot of runs."

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 7 in Friday's 12-inning win over Pittsburgh. Rizzo extended his hitting streak to eight games and increased his average to .341. 

Rizzo hit a solo home run, his eighth of the season, and drove in two runs, giving him 22. 

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he's thinking about moving up shortstop Erick Aybar in the lineup to leadoff while dropping down right fielder Kole Calhoun towards the middle, reports the Orange County Register.

Aybar, who's primarily hit fifth or sixth this season, has been on a recent tear, batting .417 (15 for 36) over his last 10 games.

Calhoun has hit leadoff in 25 of the Angels' 34 games this season, hitting .314 with three homers and 18 RBI.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 1 for 2 with an RBI in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Mets and was hit by a pitch twice, the second for the major league-leading 11th time this season.

"Getting on base is the name of the game," Rizzo said while wearing a large ice bag on his thigh after Thursday's game, per MLB.com. "I don't like getting hit by any means, but I have no idea [why it's happening]."

The Cubs' single-season mark for getting hit by pitches is 17, and the first baseman was hit 15 times last season.

"Hopefully, it stops at 11," Rizzo said.

Rizzo has hit .336/.470/.597 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases in 119 at-bats.

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores hit a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Cubs. 

Flores went deep with a solo shot in the fourth inning, his fifth of the season, driving in his eleventh run.

After a 1-for-4 day, Flores is hitting .238. 

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit his seventh home run of the season during Thursday afternoon's 4-2 win over the Pirates. 

Howard went yard in the fifth inning off of Radhames Liz, hitting a solo shot to right field. Howard finished the game 3 for 4 as he also recorded two singles. He's now hitting .230/.293/.478 this season. 

Howard is now hitting .293 in his last 12 games. 

Cubs manager Joe Maddon swapped first baseman Anthony Rizzo and third baseman Kris Bryant in the batting order for Thursday's contest against the Mets.

Rizzo, who has been in the No. 3 hole 25 times this season, was moved to the second spot in the order. Bryant will bat third for just the second time this season, and the first time since May 6.

Bryant has homered three times in May, and is hitting .297 (11 for 37) with a double, a triple and nine RBI in his last 10 games. Rizzo is also having a strong month, hitting .347 (17 for 49) with four doubles, one triple, five homers and 10 RBI in 13 games this month.

Chicago is favored (-118) at Wrigley Field against the Mets, per VegasInsider.com.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 3 for 4 at the plate in Arizona's 9-6 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday. 

Goldschmidt grabbed a single in his first at-bat, a double in his second and a triple in his third. However, Goldschmidt was unable to complete the cycle, striking out and drawing a walk in his final two at-bats. If he would have hit a home run in his fourth at-bat, he would have become the 14th player in baseball history to hit for the cycle in order. 

"We were all thinking he was going to get his home run and get the cycle," manager Chip Hale said to MLB.com. "It just didn't work out."

Goldschmidt is hitting .347 with 28 RBI in 121 at-bats this season.