MLB Player News

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu went 3 for 4 with two RBI in his team's 7-6 win over the Rangers Tuesday.

Abreu had been slow to get going this spring, entering the game just 2 for 13 at the plate. He's now hitting .294/.333/.529 with one home run and six RBI in 17 at-bats.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is working on hitting to the opposite field, and thus far the results have been positive.

Entering Tuesday's spring game against the Braves, Howard has put the ball in play 13 times this spring. Nine times he hit to left or center field, per MLB.com. Only four times -- 30.8 percent -- has he pulled the baseball. Last year, according to Baseball-Reference.com, he pulled the baseball 40.3 percent of the time.

"I've never been a pull hitter. But my biggest problem was trying to pull the ball. Now I'm trying to work back to what my strength is," Howard said. "I'm trying to work the middle of the field. That's the goal. It's all about timing. It's all about rhythm."

It seems getting back to what Howard did best in the past could help him revive his career.

"He's much better when he uses the whole field," a longtime NL scout said. "When he came up, he was very good at going the other way. And it's really what made him into a top-flight player. Then he got very pull-happy. First, it makes him much easier to defend. And, secondly, it's affected his mindset. So he's getting back to his roots, basically. When he first came up, that's what he did a lot. He's getting back to that, which is good for him, and obviously good for the team."

Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun was held out of Tuesday's spring game because of a sore left hip. However, he should be back in the lineup Wednesday, per The Los Angeles Times.

Calhoun is batting .227 (5 for 22) with one RBI, four runs and six walks in eight spring games.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will get the start at shortstop Tuesday, according to ESPN.

Flores hasn't played the position since 2011, but the team wants to give him a shot during camp. While there's a chance he could displace Ruben Tejada at the position, Flores will likely begin the year in the minors. Flores has played short in the late innings during the spring, but this will be his first start at the position.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt returned to action as a designated hitter on Saturday against the Angels.

Goldschmidt, who had been dealing with leg tightness, doubled in a run in the third inning for his only hit of the day. He finished 1 for 4 in a 5-2 win. He is hitting .238/.360/.333 with four RBI over his first 21 at-bats.

Indians manager Terry Francona has been impressed with the work of catcher Carlos Santana at third base this spring, and the team will move forward with his transition to the hot corner, MLB.com reports.

"Carlos looks fine," Francona said Friday. "If he is the third baseman, you're not going to know how he handles it until he's asked to handle it. How many balls have been hit to him? Four? That's just not a fair sample size. You almost hope people hit balls to him. But then, if he makes an error in Goodyear, do you say, 'Oh, he can't be our third baseman?' I think we go more on his daily work and things like that. That's all been really good."

Francona will have to figure out how to properly divide playing time at the position between Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall moving forward. The manager left the door open for Santana playing both positions on a regular basis during the season.

"I would say in the next three or four days, we're going to sit down and talk through it," Francona said. "It's a little bit of uncharted waters. You don't see anybody playing third and catching in the big leagues, but if he's able to do it, it opens up a lot of different things. The first thing we're going to do is sit and talk."

Santana is just 2 for 11 at the plate this spring.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt should be ready to play Saturday, according to azcentral.com.

Goldschmidt has been dealing with leg tightness. He did not play Thursday, and is not in the lineup for Friday's game due to the issue. Manager Kirk Gibson said Goldschmidt would return to the lineup Saturday.

Goldschmidt hit .302/.401/.551 in 602 at-bats last year.

The struggles of Carlos Santana at third base could be good news for incumbent Lonnie Chisenhall. Santana has already made one error and blew a double play possibility with a bobble on Thursday as he tries to make the switch from catcher.

Reports out of winter ball were positive about the transition, but Santana has looked stiff and uncomfortable at third throughout spring training, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chisenhall enters this season with a reputation for mediocrity at that position. He has also been a disappointment at the plate, particularly against left-handers.

One likely scenario is a platoon in which Santana plays against southpaws if he proves himself acceptable defensively. The Indians cleanup hitter would serve as the full-time designated hitter against right-handers.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores is expected to start at short soon, according to ESPN.

Flores hasn't played the position in a game since 2011. The team is looking for a way to get him into the lineup, and have been open to him moving to short again. Flores hit .211 in 95 at-bats last year.

Reds slugger Joey Votto answered critics who have complained he wasn't aggressive enough at the plate in 2013, stating that he will not change his approach.

"If I wasn't producing and having a satisfying result in my overall game I could understand the complants," he told Fox Sports. "I think I had a successful year, despite the lack of one number (RBI). I like getting lost in an at-bat and getting the most out of every at-bat."

The result of that approach was a .305 average, 24 home runs and 73 RBI. He led the league with 135 walks and .435 on-base percentage.