Philadelphia ? NL MVP Ryan Howard was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left quadriceps strain after he was out of the starting lineup for the fifth straight game Saturday.

The Philadelphia Phillies recalled catcher/first baseman Chris Coste from Triple-A Ottawa to take Howard’s roster spot. Howard is eligible to come off the disabled list May 25.

Howard slumped this year after hitting .313 with 58 homers and 149 RBIs in one of the best seasons ever for a sophomore player. He’s batting just .204 with six homers and 23 RBIs, and has 39 strikeouts in 98 at-bats. Howard’s pinch-hit grand slam helped the Phillies beat Arizona on Wednesday.