Phillies' Howard may sit Sunday against righthander

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin insists he hasn't given up on platooning Ryan Howard, but it appears the struggling first baseman will be getting the day off Sunday, even though the Atlanta Braves will be starting a righthander.

Howard's batting average plummeted to .161 after he struck out twice in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He has only 15 plate appearances this year against lefthanders, against whom he is hitting .143. Mackanin pinch-hit Tommy Joseph for Howard when the Braves brought in lefthander Ian Krol in the seventh inning. Joseph flied out.

So for now, Mackanin plans to stick with Howard against righthanders, with Sunday likely being an exception.

"I might give Joseph a start [Sunday] just to clear Howie's head just a little bit," Mackanin said after the game. "Then when we go to Detroit, we have the DH, so both of them can play, and we will go from there."

The three-game series in Detroit begins Monday.

Howard is hitting .163 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs against righthanded pitching.

Mackanin doesn't think that the 36-year-old Howard is injured.

"As far as I know, he hasn't been getting treatment on anything," Mackanin said. "He is in a funk right now, and we have to try to get him out of it."

Joseph, who was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 13, is hitting .333 (4 for 12) with a solo home run.

Righthander Jerad Eickhoff (1-6, 4.44 ERA) will face Casey Kelly in the series finale Sunday. On May 11, Eickhoff allowed four runs (three earned) in 41/3 innings during a 5-1 loss at Atlanta. It was the only game this season in which he failed to pitch at least five innings. During his last start, on Monday, Eickhoff allowed three runs in six innings in a 5-3 loss to Miami.

Kelly pitched three innings of relief in one appearance earlier this year for the Braves, but has been with triple-A Gwinnett and was recalled Saturday.

The Braves are 12-30 but have been more than holding their own against the Phillies. Atlanta is 3-2 this season and has won nine of its last 12 against the Phillies, dating back to Aug. 2, 2015.

Phillies Rule 5 outfielder Tyler Goeddel was 1 for 3 in Saturday's loss, continuing his recent hot streak. In his last eight games, Goeddel is batting .429 (12 for 28).

He was hitting .159 before the streak, and is now at .264.