MLB Player News

A matchup against Washington southpaw Gio Gonzalez and a mini-slump have Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard out of the lineup Thursday.

Howard, who has just one hit in his last 12 at-bats, is batting .229 agaisnt left-handers and is 0 for 11 lifetime against Gonzalez.

The Indians have traded shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to the Nationals prior to Thursday's trade deadline, according to MLB.com.

Cabrera has been considered a likely candidate to be traded leading up to the deadline, as he is stuck in his second down season in a row. Cabrera is hitting .246/.305/.386 with nine home runs and 40 RBI in 97 games for the Indians. 

The Mariners are considered a "sleeper" team in trade talks involving Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, according to ESPN analyst Buster Olney.

Diamondbacks prolific first baseman Paul Goldschmidt wiped out a scoreless tie in the sixth inning Wednesday in Cincinnati with a two-run homer that put his team ahead to stay.

Despite his first homer since July 19, Goldschmidt is scuffling a bit. He has just seven hits in his last 39 at-bats as his stat line has been weakened to a still-fine .301/.396/.545.

The Astros are looking to trade DH Chris Carter, according to the New York Post. Carter is batting .212 with 111 strikeouts in 92 games, but he has 21 homers and is slugging .474.

The Post reports the Astros would also be willing to listen to trade offers for starting pitchers Jarred Cosart, Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh.

Astros outfielder Chris Carter, who has slumped a bit after a hot streak, has been scratched from the Wednesday afternoon lineup against visiting Oakland with an illness.

Carter has one hit in his last 12 at-bats, is on a roll in general with two home runs and nine RBI in his last nine games.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu continued his hot hitting Tuesday, in an 11-4 win over the Tigers.

Abreu drove in four runs in the massive performance, as he strung together his third multi-hit effort in the last four games. He went 3 for 4 with a two-run home run, and then followed that up with a two-run double in the eighth inning. He also scored twice in the blowout win.

Abreu has been red-hot for the last two months, and has taken his game to another level. He is hitting .359/.412/.652 in the month of July, raising his season batter average to .299. 

First baseman Freddie Freeman certainly can't be blamed for his team's loss Tuesday night to the host Dodgers.

Freeman gave his team a brief lead with a two-run homer in the third inning. He added a single and walk to push his on-base percentage on the year to a fine .376.

Astros designated hitter Chris Carter made his presence felt with just one swing of the bat Monday night at home against the A's.

Carter smacked a three-run home run in the third inning to give his team an early lead. He finished 1 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI in a 7-3 victory. He owns a .214/.292/.479 slash line with 21 homers and 49 RBI in 309 at-bats.

Indians veteran shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is on the radar of the Blue Jays as the trading deadline approaches, per Fox Sports. He would play second base, a spot with which he became familiar early in his career, as Jose Reyes is locked in at shortstop.

Cleveland has shown no inclination to sign Cabrera with prized prospect Francisco Lindor on the way. Lindor has been raking at Triple-A Columbus after his recent promotion. Cabrera has raised his trade value by hitting well lately, but he is tied for the American League lead in errors with 14 and has limited range.