MLB Player News
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Austin Barnes C | LAD
Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Exits early Sunday
Barnes exited Sunday's contest with Atlanta in the fifth inning with a left big toe contusion.
Barnes was forced to the leave the game before his second at-bat with a familiar injury. The catcher had a fracture in the same toe in August, and it's unclear how long he could be unavailable for. Will Smith replaced him behind the plate and will continue to get the lion's share of work at catcher moving forward.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Likely to lose work to d'Arnaud
Murphy is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.
Murphy had started behind the plate in five of the past six games, but he'll likely be in store for a role reduction after Travis d'Arnaud (personal) returned from the paternity list Thursday. Despite getting more consistent at-bats of late, Murphy is still hitting just .080 in September and a career-worst .203 on the season.
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Kyle Higashioka C | SD
Padres' Kyle Higashioka: Exiting lineup Sunday
Higashioka is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Higashioka will receive a breather in the series finale after he had started at catcher in four of the Padres' previous five games. Elias Diaz will step in behind the plate for San Diego.
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Patrick Bailey C | SF
Giants' Patrick Bailey: Absent from Sunday's lineup
Bailey is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Bailey went 3-for-7 with a double while starting the first two games of the series, but he'll sit Sunday for the afternoon finale. Curt Casali is batting eighth and catching for right-hander Landen Roupp.
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Adrian Del Castillo C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Adrian Del Castillo: On bench, likely to lose work
Del Castillo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
With a left-hander (DL Hall) starting for the Brewers, the left-handed-hitting Del Castillo will head to the bench while Jose Herrera gets the nod behind the plate. Though Del Castillo had typically been seeing most of the starts against right-handed pitching since he was promoted from Triple-A Reno on Aug. 6, he and Herrera are both likely to see their opportunities diminish over the final two weeks of the season after Arizona reinstated top backstop Gabriel Moreno (adductor) from the 10-day injured list Sunday. Moreno could draw back into the lineup as soon as Monday in Colorado.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Returns from IL
The Diamondbacks reinstated Moreno (adductor) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.
Moreno won't enter the lineup Sunday against the Brewers in his return to the 28-man active roster, but the 24-year-old will be available off the bench after completing his recovery from the left adductor strain that had kept him on the shelf for nearly five weeks. Though he didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated, Moreno was able to prove his health by playing in simulated games at the Diamondbacks' spring facility in Arizona in recent days. He could be eased back into the fold with a lighter catching load initially, but the expectation is that Moreno will be ready to serve as the club's No. 1 backstop by the time the postseason gets underway.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Taking seat Sunday
Contreras is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Contreras started the past eight games and will receive a day off after going 9-for-27 with two doubles, two homers, eight RBI and six runs. Eric Haase will do the catching for left-hander DL Hall in the series finale.
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Garrett Stubbs C | PHI
Phillies' Garrett Stubbs: Set to lose playing time
Stubbs is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
He'll be on the bench for the fourth straight game and is likely to see scant playing time down the stretch after J.T. Realmuto returned to action Friday following a week-long absence. Stubbs will at least stick around as the top backup to Realmuto after the Phillies designated No. 3 backstop Aramis Garcia for assignment Sunday.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Receiving day off
Alvarez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Alvarez will receive a break after making five straight starts, during which he went 5-for-18 with two homers and six RBI. Luis Torrens is working behind the plate Sunday for lefty David Peterson.