MLB Player News
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Keibert Ruiz C | WAS
Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Swats seventh homer
Ruiz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's win over the Reds.
The backstop took Frankie Montas deep in the fourth inning, capping a four-run outburst for the Nationals that put them in the lead for good. Ruiz has seven homers on the season, but three of them have come in his last eight games -- a stretch in which he's batting .300 (9-for-30) with two doubles, six runs and eight RBI.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Sitting for matinee
Murphy isn't in Atlanta's lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.
Travis d'Arnaud will start behind the plate for the first game of Saturday's twin bill, making Murphy the likely choice to start at catcher during the nightcap.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Three hits in win
Moreno went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.
It's an encouraging start to the second half for Moreno after he'd gone just 2-for-17 in six games prior to the All-Star break. The 24-year-old backstop opened the scoring with an RBI single off Justin Steele in the third inning. Overall, Moreno's slashing .251/.336/.374 with four homers, 32 RBI and 30 runs scored across 268 plate appearances this season.
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J.T. Realmuto C | PHI
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto: Could return this weekend
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Friday that Realmuto (knee) is "very close" and could be activated from the 10-day injured list as soon as this weekend, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Thomson had said just before the All-Star break that it was unlikely Realmuto would return this weekend for a series against the Pirates, but evidently the catcher is progressing more quickly than expected. Realmuto had right meniscus surgery in mid-June, and he's been upping his workouts lately without issue. It would appear he will not need a rehab assignment before being activated.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Absent from Friday's lineup
Murphy is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.
Murphy sat out the final game before the All-Star break and will also begin the first contest after the break on the bench. Travis d'Arnaud will do the catching for Spencer Schwellenbach.
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Alfredo Duno C | CIN
Reds' Alfredo Duno: Recovering from broken rib
Duno is on the 7-day injured list at Single-A Daytona with a broken rib, Carlos Collazo of Baseball America reports.
Per the report, Duno is rehabbing at the Reds' spring training complex and could return very late in the season. The 18-year-old catcher jumped over the Arizona Complex League and went straight from the Dominican Summer League to Single-A this season. He slashed .267/.367/.422 with three home runs and a 28.8 percent strikeout rate in 32 games before suffering the injury.
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Joey Bart C | PIT
Pirates' Joey Bart: Blasts three-run homer
Bart went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Sunday against the White Sox.
Bart started seven of the last nine games behind the plate for Pittsburgh heading into the All-Star break. He's gone only 4-for-21 in that span, though two have been home runs while also tallying seven RBI and five runs scored.
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Luis Campusano C | SD
Padres' Luis Campusano: Homers in loss
Campusano went 1-for-1 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 6-3 loss to Atlanta.
Campusano entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and took A.J. Minter deep for a two-run blast to make it a 5-3 deficit for the Padres. The long ball was his first hit in eight at-bats since being activated from the injured list July 5 and was his sixth homer on the year. Campusano has started just two games since his activation and will need to recapture his form from 2023 if he is to earn a larger role. The 25-year-old backstop is slashing .230/.276/.376 with 19 extra-base hits, 33 RBI, 26 runs and a 14:29 BB:K in 228 plate appearances.
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Travis d'Arnaud C | LAA
Braves' Travis d'Arnaud: Two homers Sunday
D'Arnaud went 2-for-3 with two homers, a walk, a stolen base, four RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's win over the Padres.
D'Arnaud didn't get going until later in the game. He distanced Atlanta with a three-run blast in the sixth to put them up 5-1 and then followed up with a solo home run in the eighth. The 35-year-old backstop also reached via a walk and swiped his first base of the year. The home runs were d'Arnaud's first since June 22 and are a continuation of a strong month at the plate so far. Over 26 plate appearances, d'Arnaud is slashing .333/.385/.625 with seven RBI and four runs scored in July. He continues to be in a timeshare behind the plate with Sean Murphy and won't have a clear path to an everyday role unless Murphy were to pick up another injury.
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J.T. Realmuto C | PHI
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto: Unlikely for Pittsburgh series
Manager Rob Thomson said Sunday that Realmuto (knee) likely won't be activated from the 10-day injured list when the Phillies open their second-half schedule Friday in Pittsburgh, MLB.com reports.
Realmuto is reportedly progressing well in his recovery from the meniscectomy he underwent June 12, but his return date looks to have been pushed back a few days after poor weather in Philadelphia this past weekend prevented him from getting in his scheduled on-field work. The veteran backstop should continue to take part in baseball activities on his own during the All-Star break this coming week, but the Phillies will likely want to monitor him in a few more workouts before reinstating him from the IL. A return to action in the week of July 22 still looks to be in the cards for Realmuto.