MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard comprised the entire offense Tuesday, going 2 for 6 with a home run and two RBI in his team's 2-1, 15-inning win over the Astros.

Howard put his team up 1-1 with his solo home run in the second inning, but the Astros were able to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Howard came to the plate with two men on and two outs in the 15th inning and delivered a walkoff single to give his team a win. He has hit .217/.299/.373 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI in 410 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is starting Tuesday for the ninth time in the last 10 games as he resumes a full-time starting role, MLB.com reports.

Howard was benched for three straight games in late July in order to give Darin Ruf an opportunity to play and Howard a chance to regroup. He's 1 for 25 over his last seven games.

So Paul Goldschmidt has a fractured left hand and, at least in the opinion of manager Kirk Gibson, is likely to miss the rest of the season. Bummer. He was one of the few first-round picks who had actually performed like one up to this point.

Naturally, you shouldn't expect to get first-round production off the waiver wire or for anything close to a discount on the trade market. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't aim high. If the rest of your lineup is strong, the right replacement at first base should keep you competitive.

Of course, finding the right replacement is easier said than done, but I offer some suggestions in the Fantasy Baseball Today blog. Be sure to give it a read if you haven't already.

The Phillies placed several players on revocable trade waivers Saturday, including starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, reliever Antonio Bastardo, first baseman Ryan Howard, starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick and starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez, a source told FOX Sports.

However, FOX Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal pointed out that nearly all players go on waivers in August. The players that clear waivers can be traded. The players claimed can be pulled back or traded/awarded to claiming team.

Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson delivered some disappointing news Sunday in regards to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who is sidelined due to a fractured left hand.

Gibson hinted Goldschmidt is likely done for the season, per The Arizona Republic.

"Realistically, it's eight weeks. So he's done," Gibson said.

Astros DH Chris Carter continued his recent surge at the plate with his 22nd home run Saturday vs. Toronto. It was his ninth home run in his last 22 games.

Carter went 3 for 4 with three runs, one double and two RBI in an 8-2 win Saturday. He had an RBI double in the first inning and added a solo home run in the fifth. He even had his second stolen base of the season.

Since July 4, Carter is batting .325 with a .723 slugging percentage and 1.110 OPS in his last 22 games. He has six doubles, 20 runs and 21 RBI in that span.

The Diamondbacks have struggled enough this season with slugger Paul Goldschmidt in their lineup. They must now get by without him - he has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured left hand.

That is what an MRI taken Friday night revealed. Goldschmidt took a fastball from Ernesto Frieri off the hand in the ninth inning. He reported pain after the game, but expressed hopefulness that the problem was not serious.

Goldschmidt had slumped of late with three hits in his last 24 at-bats, but he still boasts an impressive stat line of .300/.396/.542 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 75 runs scored.

Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt reported pain in his left ring finger after being plunked by Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri in the ninth inning Friday night. The results of X-rays taken after the game have yet to be revealed. His hand was wrapped when he spoke to the media.

"I've never had any broken bones or fractures or anything like that," he told azcentral.com. "It felt OK. Obviously there's still some pain because he hit it pretty good. He throws hard."

Jose Abreu did Friday night what Jose Abreu does - all that was missing was the home run.

The White Sox slugger singled in a run in the fourth to increase his major league-leading RBI total to 84. He finished the game with three singles, two runs scored and a walk in aiding a shootout win over the Twins.

Abreu now boasts a 21-game hitting streak and has hit safely in an increasingly ridiculous 39 of 40 games.

The Nationals officially added newly acquired infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to the active roster Friday, the day after he was acquired via trade from the Indians.

Cabrera has struggled to a .246/.305/.386 line this season, but should be a regular starter in the middle infield for the Nationals down the stretch. He is, in fact, in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies, batting seventh and playing second base.