MLB Player News

Stephenson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Athletics.

Stephenson's homer in the bottom of the fourth inning tied the game at 3-3 after the A's took a lead in the top half of the frame. It was the fourth home run in the last 13 contests and 10th of the season for the pending free agent catcher, who has burnished his market value since the break. In 14 second-half games, Stephenson has slashed .319/.418/.702 with seven walks, four homers, six doubles, nine RBI and nine runs scored.

Contreras is not in the lineup for Thursday's tilt against the Pirates.

Contreras had made six straight starts and homered in Wednesday's win over the Pirates, but he'll get some rest during Thursday's matinee. Gary Sanchez is doing the catching and batting seventh for the Brewers.

Kelly is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Blue Jays.

Kelly and Miguel Amaya have rotated starts at catcher for the Cubs in each of the last 10 games. It will be Amaya behind the dish Thursday at Wrigley Field.

Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers.

Rodriguez has hit safely in seven of eight games since he returned from a glute injury. He's also homered in consecutive contests, giving him seven long balls on the year. The catcher is batting .269 with an .856 OPS, 20 RBI, 20 runs scored, six doubles and six stolen bases over 153 plate appearances. Henry Davis has hit just .206 since the All-Star break, so Rodriguez should have a leg up for playing time behind the plate.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a second run scored in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Pirates.

Contreras ended a 13-game homer drought with his long ball in the sixth inning to provide the Brewers' last run. The catcher has gone 11-for-54 (.204) over his last 14 contests, a rare quiet stretch for him. Overall, he's batting .270 with a .733 OPS, 11 homers, 48 RBI, 56 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple and one stolen base over 106 games.

Moreno (personal) was reinstated from the paternity list and will bat cleanup as the Diamondbacks' designated hitter in Wednesday's game against the Padres, Jody Jackson of DBacks.tv reports.

He's back with the team after missing two contests due to the birth of his second child. Arizona optioned Adrian Del Castillo to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move, per Jackson. Moreno has hit .286 with two home runs and 15 RBI since the All-Star break.

Stephenson is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

After going 0-for-4 in Tuesday's matchup with the A's, Stephenson will ride the pine for the second contest of a three-game set. Jose Trevino will be behind the plate and bat seventh for Cincinnati.

Goodman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Goodman ended up staying put with the Rockies following Monday's trade deadline, but he'll be held out of the lineup for the second time in four contests while Colorado wraps up its series against Tampa Bay with a day game after a night game. Brett Sullivan will spell Goodman behind the plate and will bat ninth.

Manager Dave Roberts said Rushing (elbow) has a "very small" chance of being able to play catcher again this season, but the Dodgers are hopeful that the 25-year-old can serve as a left-handed option off the bench if he's able to return from the 10-day injured list, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Rushing was scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's loss to the Red Sox and placed on the injured list Monday due to what the Dodgers referred to as a mild strain of his throwing elbow. He was then sent in for further testing Tuesday, with an MRI revealing a UCL tear in his right elbow. While Rushing is hopeful to avoid surgery and treat the injury with rest and rehab, he won't be cleared to start a throwing program for 4-to-6 weeks, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com, which takes catching and playing first base or a corner-outfield spot off the table. A left-handed hitter, Rushing shouldn't be too affected by the injury at the plate, but the Dodgers likely won't be able to find regular room for him in the lineup so long as Shohei Ohtani is available to serve as their everyday designated hitter. With that in mind, Rushing looks like a safe drop for fantasy managers in nearly every redraft league.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 9-4 loss to the Padres.

McCann has yet to be held hitless since he was activated from a stint on the injured list due to a quadriceps strain. The catcher extended his hitting streak with a seventh-inning homer. Over nine games since his return, he's gone 18-for-35 (.514) with four homers and 15 RBI. McCann is batting .319 with an .840 OPS, four long balls, 21 RBI, 11 runs scored and five doubles over 99 plate appearances. He'll likely get a short-term bump in playing time while Gabriel Moreno is on the paternity list, though McCann's hot hitting of late could open the door for a few at-bats as the designated hitter as well.