After being out of the lineup for the fifth straight game on Saturday, the Philadelphia Phillies' first baseman Ryan Howard was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left quadriceps strain. The Phillies recalled catcher and first baseman Chris Coste from Triple-A Ottawa to fill Howard's roster spot. "For long-term reasons, we wanted to be cautious with this and let him heal," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We fully expect him to be 100 percent and ready to go within 15 days." Howard has slumped this year after his NL MVP season of .313, 58 homers and 149 RBIs. He's now batting .204 with six homers and 23 RBIs, with 39 strikeouts in 98 at-bats. Howard is eligible to come off the disabled list May 25.