MLB Player News

Barring any setbacks in the final game of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett Sunday, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (oblique) is expected to rejoin the team for Monday's series opener at Colorado, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Freeman has played just five games this season and has been out since April 7 with a strained right oblique.

In his second outing with Gwinnett Saturday, Freeman went 5 for 5 with three singles and two doubles while also driving in two runs. He also played the entire game at first base and is scheduled do so again Sunday.

With Fernando Martinez coming off the disabled list and getting the start in left field Sunday against Cleveland, Astros outfielder Chris Carter got the game off. Carter is struggling at the dish and has gone just 1 for 19 (.053) over his last six contests. 

Carter, batting .219 overall on the year, has struck out 26 times in 17 games, though he does have four homers and nine RBI. 

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera injured his left wrist when he slipped down the dugout steps before Saturday's game against the Astros, The Plain Dealer reports.

The 27-year-old was forced from the game in the first inning after two at-bats. X-rays came back negative, but Cabrera is not expected to play in Sunday's series finale.

Indians catcher Carlos Santana went 2 for 5 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored Saturday night against the Astros. Santana also walked once in the 19-6 win.

The 27-year-old led off the third inning with his third homer, and in the fifth, he drove in Mike Aviles with a double.

Santana is 4 for 19 (.211) with three RBI in six games since returning from a wrist injury.

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left Saturday's game against the Astros in the first inning with a left wrist contusion. He batted twice in Cleveland's eight-run first inning and went 1 for 2 with a run scored before being replaced by Mike Aviles.

The 27-year-old is considered day-to-day. Cabrera is batting .150 (9 for 60) through 15 games with two homers and three RBI.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto reached base five times and had his second home run of the season in a 3-2 win over Miami in 13 innings Saturday. He finished 4 for 6 with a walk -- the 14th time he has had four hits in a game, which represents a career high.

Votto, who went 11 games to start the season without a home run, has now had two over his past seven outings. His batting average is .305.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who is dealing with right groin tightness, is expected to return to the starting lineup Sunday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Howard, who was held out of Saturday's game, was active during infield drills with his teammates and is expected to be available as a pinch-hitter.

"He's feeling better," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We decided to give him another day. He still has some stiffness and soreness. More than likely, he'll be ready to go [Sunday]."

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was absent from the lineup for the second consecutive game Saturday against St. Louis due to a groin injury. Howard was replaced at first by John Mayberry for Philadelphia and is considered day to day with the issue.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman made the first of what is expected to be three rehab appearances Friday at Triple-A Gwinnett, as he continues to recover from a right oblique strain.

Freeman went 0 for 3, with a walk, a run scored and three strikeouts while serving as a designated hitter. Freeman will play in the field Saturday and Sunday and is expected to be activated in time for Monday's series beginning in Colorado, according to MLB.com.

Let's all chill on Ryan Howard. I know some people are questioning his health a good 18 months after his Achilles injury, and yes, his mobility seems to be comprimised. But he's not any less healthy now than he was last year, when he returned to perform at a 30-homer pace over the final three months. And given how effortlessly he was launching balls out of the park this spring, it's not like his power stroke evaporated in the offseason.

All-or-nothing hitters like him will have their ups and downs. In 2007, fresh off winning NL MVP, he hit only .221 in April, to use just one example. Frankly, I don't see why more people aren't encouraged by his .371 batting average and .960 OPS over his last nine games.