MLB Player News

Dilson Herrera was out of the Mets' lineup for Sunday's game at the Braves. He exited Saturday's contest with a leg injury. Wilmer Flores got the start at second base in place of Herrera.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has managed just one home run since Aug. 15.

Freeman maintains great overall numbers while playing virtually every inning of every game for the Braves this season, but only five of his 18 home runs have come in the second half. Despite the relative lack of power, he soared in August, hitting .330/.444/.476 in 103 at-bats. Overall, Freeman has hit .290/.387/.469 with 18 home runs and 73 RBI in 576 at-bats.

A matchup against San Diego left-hander Robbie Erlin has Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and second baseman Chase Utley out of the lineup Thursday.

The game off could hurt Howard's quest for his first 100-RBI season since 2011. He has 92 with 10 games remaining. Utley is in the mdist of a 2-for-17 slide.

Angels first baseman C.J. Cron went 2 for 3 with a three-run home run in his team's 5-0 win over the Mariners Wednesday.

Cron's home run came at an opportune time, as the Mariners turned to the bullpen in the seventh inning only for the Angels first baseman to immediately smack a three-run blast to put the lead out of reach. He has hit .273/.301/.482 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 220 at-bats.

Granted, if the Mets make a play for Starlin Castro or some other high-profile shortstop this offseason, all bets are off, but Wilmer Flores' two-homer performance Tuesday against the Marlins was just the latest indication that the 23-year-old is on the verge of turning the corner.

And that's an exciting prospect for Fantasy owners now that he's proven at least competent at the weakest position in the game.

In his last 18 games, he's batting .303 with five home runs and a .984 OPS. He has struck out just twice in 66 at-bats during that stretch. In 43 games since the All-Star break (or since his return from the minors, more accurately), he has struck out just nine times in 140 at-bats.

That was his calling card in the minors, where he never struck out even 80 times in a season and was typically between 60 and 70. The high contact rate often resulted in a .300 batting average -- particularly in the upper levels, when he began to develop the power to hit 15-plus homers and 30-plus doubles.

It's a skill set similar to the one Edgardo Alfonzo brought with him to the majors in the late 90s. If you were playing Fantasy then, you'll probably remember he had a few years when he was a pretty stellar option even at the height of the steroids era. And he wasn't even a shortstop during that time.

Sleeper alert?

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores has been tearing it up at the plate recently, but went downright hog-wild Tuesday night.

Flores achieved the first two-homer game of his career in a rout of Miami. He began his big night with an RBI double in the fourth inning, socked a three-run blast in the fifth and added a two-run shot in the seventh for six RBI. He is 8 for 15 with two homers and 10 RBI in the last four games combined.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto will take batting practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering a strained left quad in early July, manager Bryan Price told reporters.

Votto swung at soft toss in the batting cage Monday, and appears to be making steady progress in his recovery. He still hopes to return to action before the end of the season. 

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds, but not due to a setback with his back. Rizzo is getting a planned day off after making his return to the lineup following a three-week absence Monday.

He is expected back in the lineup as early as Wednesday's series finale.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hasn't played since Aug. 26 because of a back strain, was back in the lineup Monday against the Reds.

Rizzo at one point talked like he could miss the rest of the season with the injury but expressed optimism after picking up a bat last week. He was batting .289 (48 for 166) with 12 home runs in his final 42 games before the injury.

After going three weeks without a home run, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu homered for the second time in as many days Sunday against the Twins, finishing 2 for 4 with two RBI. The solo shot in the ninth inning gave him 35 on the season, tying the White Sox rookie record set by Ron Kittle in 1983.

"He's a good hitter so this isn't a surprise that he hit a home run,” manager Robin Ventura told ESPN.com. "He's been pretty consistent just as a hitter. The power's going to be there. He went through a little stretch where he wasn't hitting many home runs, but it's there."

In addition to the home runs, Abreu is also batting .322 on the season, including .354 since the beginning of June -- a span of 89 games.

"He's a better hitter than he is a power hitter and he's a heck of a power hitter too, so that’s the way I look at him," teammate Paul Konerko said. "He's not just a slugger."