MLB Player News

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt continued his recent hot hitting on Wednesday night against the Yankees. He went 1 for 4 with a home run in a 4-3 loss.

The 25-year-old launched a two-run shot off starter CC Sabathia in the first inning for his third long ball.

Goldschmidt has collected at least one hit in four straight games and is 6 for 16 (.375) with three RBI during that stretch.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is almost ready for a rehab assignment, perhaps as soon as Friday, MLB.com reports.

Freeman has been dealing with an oblique injury since April 6. He is eligible to return from the injury on Sunday and is expected to do so.

Indians catcher Carlos Santana, who missed a little over a week with a wrist injury, had an uneventful return Tuesday night against the Red Sox.

Santana could not muster a hit in his first game back as he finished 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. He is hitting .433/.514/.767 with two home runs and five RBI over his first 30 at-bats.

Astros outfielder Chris Carter has mostly failed to live up to his former billing as a top prospect in parts of four major-league seasons. Sure, he hit 16 home runs and posted an .864 on-base plus slugging percentage a year ago, but he was not a full-time player for the Athletics, who limited him to just 218 at-bats.

Carter is getting every-day at bats with the Astros this season and a hot start has Fantasy owners flocking to pick him up. As of Tuesday, Carter was the sixth-most added player in CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, being added in 30 percent of leagues. Is he finally starting to live up to his pedigree?

Carter is flashing his solid power stroke yet again, with a .280 isolated slugging percentage that is slightly up from last year's .275 mark. But where he appears to have taken the biggest step forward is batting average, raising his .239 mark from a year ago to a more respectable .260, so far. If he can sustain that and keep hammering the ball into the seats, we'll have a breakout slugger on our hands.

Unfortunately for Fantasy owners, Carter is striking out 38.2 percent of the time he steps to the plate, leaving a .360 batting average on balls in play as the only thing standing between him and a lengthy flirtation with the Mendoza line. Carter is going to hit the ball hard enough to put up some solid BABIP numbers, but this pace is almost certainly unsustainable.

Carter has always had holes in his swing, and it doesn't look like he has shored them up, upon closer inspection. Don't be surprised if the bottom falls out quickly on this one. 

Though he was never a threat around the bases, Ryan Howard's lack of mobility since returning from a torn Achilles could force the Phillies to sacrifice his bat for speed late in games, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Howard is 18 months removed from surgery and has recently admitted to having good days and bad days with his leg.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel pinch-ran for the 33-year-old twice in the first 13 games. Last season, Manuel pinch-ran for Howard six times in 71 games as he regained strength in the repaired tendon. Manuel admits that replacing Howard's bat for speed late in games has been something that he has considered more often.

"It might be," Manuel said. "I hope I don't have to pinch-run for him much. I hope those situations don't come up much. Sometimes, when you're trying to win the game, the chances of scoring a guy become much better."

Howard is hitting .255 with a home run and five RBI in 51 at-bats. He has reached base in eight of the last 10 games played.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman took swings Tuesday for the first time since going on the disabled list with a strained right oblique.

The 23-year-old felt "fine" after the session, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Freeman, who was batting .412 with a home run and seven RBI before getting hurt, is eligible to return Monday at Colorado.

Indians catcher Carlos Santana is in the starting lineup Tuesday.

Santana has missed a little over a week after taking a ball off the wrist when he was behind the plate. Santana will assume the third spot in the batting order. 

Solving the Athletics' pitchers wasn't the only riddle facing Astros designated hitter Chris Carter Monday. Carter, back in Oakland for the first time since his trade to Houston prior to the season, had trouble locating the visitor's clubhouse after not maneuvering around that part of the stadium before.

"When I walked in I had no clue," he told MLB.com. "I never went past the weight room."

Carter, now the Astros' cleanup hitter, finished 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts -- his second straight hitless outing following a six-game hitting streak that included his first four homers of the season.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard had a strong series in Miami, but has admitted to having good days and bad days with his leg, according to Philly.com.

Howard is now 18 months removed from his surgery, and was never considered a threat on the bases. Howard said there will be days where his legs feel "heavier," but implied that's caused by the normal grind of the season. He was also able to score from second on a single by Michael Young.

Howard's repaired Achilles hasn't prevented him from playing this season, which is a positive. He was removed for a pinch runner Sunday, and that appears to be the only reason for concern going forward. 

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt came through big for his team in the late stages of Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers.

Goldschmidt slapped a walk-off single in the ninth inning to secure a 1-0 victory. He also singled in the fourth and finished 2 for 4 with an RBI.

"It would have been a strike but I was out front of it," Goldschmidt said. "It fooled me, so I was really lucky it found a hole. When I saw it, I thought it had a chance."

Goldschmidt is hitting .348/.426/.587 with two home runs and 10 RBI through 46 at-bats.