MLB Player News
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Activated ahead of season debut
The Mets activated Alvarez (hand) from the 10-day injured list Friday.
Alvarez is starting at catcher and batting seventh Friday versus the Nationals in what will be his season debut after he missed the first four weeks of the season following surgery on a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. The catcher went 7-for-39 with one home run across 10 rehab contests.
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Hunter Goodman RF | COL
Rockies' Hunter Goodman: Homers Thursday
Goodman went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Royals. He went 0-for-4 in the nightcap.
The 25-year-old opened the scoring in Thursday's matinee with a two-out, RBI single off Cole Ragans before extending Colorado's lead to 4-2 with a two-run homer in the third, his fourth long ball this season. Goodman saw his eight-game hitting streak end in the nightcap -- he went 9-for-29 (.310) with two homers and six RBI in that span. He's been serving as the Rockies' primary catcher this season and is slashing .237/.326/.434 with 11 RBI and 10 runs scored across 86 plate appearances.
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Hayden Senger C | NYM
Mets' Hayden Senger: Optioned to minors
Senger was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, Manny Gomez of NJ.com reports.
Senger had a brief stretch of regular playing time behind the plate for the Mets but picked up only five hits across 28 at-bats overall. This move comes with the anticipation that Francisco Alvarez (hand) will return Friday, though that transaction has not yet been made official.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Sitting down Thursday
Contreras isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Giants.
Contreras has logged a base hit in 15 of his last 16 games, but he'll take a seat Thursday for what will be his second day off of the season. Eric Haase will start behind the plate instead and bat ninth.
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Patrick Bailey C | SF
Giants' Patrick Bailey: Breather in series finale
Bailey is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Brewers, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Bailey caught each of the first three games of the four-game set against the Brewers, so he'll receive a well-earned day off for Thursday's matinee. Sam Huff will be behind the dish and bat eighth for the Giants.
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Jacob Stallings C | BAL
Rockies' Jacob Stallings: Resting for early game
Stallings is out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader with the Royals.
Hunter Goodman will be behind the plate for the first game of the day, but expect Stallings to enter the lineup at catcher for the second half of the doubleheader, when rookie Chase Dollander will be on the mound for the Rockies.
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Ivan Herrera C | STL
Cardinals' Ivan Herrera: Could begin rehab assignment soon
The Cardinals will evaluate Herrera's (knee) progress and timetable for a rehab assignment when they return home Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Herrera is progressing well from a left knee bone bruise, as he's been able to run, hit and catch off a pitching machine without issue in recent days. A rehab assignment seems to be around the corner, but more will be known after he's evaluated Friday. Herrera has been shelved since early April.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Begins rehab assignment
Stephenson (oblique) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. He's gone a combined 1-for-6 with a double, an RBI and two strikeouts in two games.
Stephenson operated as the catcher in both contests and caught five innings in each. With a layoff of over a month, the Reds are unlikely to push the catcher too quickly through the rehab process.
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Austin Wynns C | ATH
Reds' Austin Wynns: Homers again Wednesday
Wynns went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Marlins.
The 34-year-old backstop isn't known for his bat -- Wynns came into the season with a career .609 OPS in 673 big-league plate appearances -- but he's gone yard in back-to-back starts while piling up an incredible nine hits and eight RBI between the two games. Tyler Stephenson (oblique) began a rehab assignment Tuesday and should return next week, but Wynns is trying to make the case that he should stick around over Jose Trevino as the Reds' No. 2 catcher. That's an uphill battle for Wynns given that Trevino inked a three-year, $15 million extension in March and himself is batting .308 this season.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Nursing sore wrist
Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs after sustaining a left wrist injury in Tuesday's 11-10 extra-inning loss, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Smith sustained the injury while tagging out Ian Happ at the plate in the sixth inning Tuesday, though the issue didn't stop him from hitting a double in his next at-bat in the top of the seventh and playing the final four frames behind the plate. The 30-year-old backstop apparently didn't experience any soreness until waking up Wednesday morning, but he isn't too concerned about his availability moving forward. Austin Barnes will draw the start at catcher Wednesday, but Smith expects to be ready to start Friday's series opener versus the Pirates following a team day off Thursday.