MLB Player News

Mack is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Diamondbacks.

Mack had made seven straight starts at catcher, so he's earned a day off. Liam Hicks will be behind the dish for the Marlins, Kyle Stowers is in the designated hitter slot and Heriberto Hernandez will cover left field.

Bart (foot) will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Single-A Bradenton, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Bart has reached the final phase of his recovery process from a left foot infection, which has kept him on the 10-day injured list since May 12. Given the length of his absence, Bart could remain on assignment in the minors through the weekend before the Pirates evaluate him for a return during their six-game road trip next week. Prior to being deactivated, Bart had produced a .669 OPS over 62 plate appearances on the season.

The Pirates recalled Flores from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Flores will likely be in line for a short-term stay with the Bucs during his first stint in the big leagues this season, as he's slated to provide Pittsburgh with another option at catcher behind Endy Rodriguez while Henry Davis (personal) is on the paternity list. While splitting time between catcher and first base at Triple-A this season, Flores has slashed .207/.320/.324 with four home runs in 53 games.

The Pirates placed Davis on the paternity list Wednesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis will be away from the Pirates for 1-to-3 days while he welcomes his first child into the world. Pittsburgh recalled Rafael Flores from Triple-A Indianapolis to provide an additional option at catcher behind Endy Rodriguez while Davis is on paternity leave.

Hunt (oblique) has gone 5-for-13 with a home run, a double, a walk, four RBI and three runs in four games for Triple-A El Paso since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list last week.

Hunt opened the season on the IL after tweaking his oblique early in spring training, but he made enough progress to begin a rehab assignment in mid-May. The 27-year-old catcher was cleared to rejoin El Paso after posting a 1.167 OPS over seven games during his rehab stint in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

Fermin is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Reds.

Fermin had a three-game home run streak come to an end with a 0-for-5 showing Tuesday, so he'll get a breather for Wednesday's matinee. Rodolfo Duran will do the catching and bat eighth for the Padres.

Stephenson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

After starting behind the plate each of the last three days, Stephenson will get a breather while the Reds wrap up their series in San Diego with an afternoon game after a night game. P.J. Higgins will step in at catcher, forming a battery with starting pitcher Brady Singer.

Mack went 4-for-4 with three runs Tuesday in the Marlins' 10-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

With a .203 batting average, the rookie catcher was barely sitting above the Mendoza Line for the season at the end of May, but his bat has begun to heat up in June. Through seven games on the month, Mack has gone 9-for-23 with a home run and a double, lifting his season average up by 50 points in the process. Mack is still expected to provide most of his value to the Marlins through his defense behind the plate, but he offers a bit of pop and should play frequently enough to make for a viable lineup option in fantasy leagues that start two catchers.

Baldwin (oblique) is slated to take live batting practice Thursday and Friday and could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett over the weekend, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Baldwin still has a couple more boxes to check in his recovery from a Grade 1 right oblique strain, but Atlanta still appears to be earmarking him for a return from the 10-day injured list for the start of their six-game homestand, which begins next Tuesday. Assuming all goes well during his upcoming pair of live BP sessions, Baldwin will likely catch at least one game with Gwinnett over the weekend to prove that the oblique strain is behind him. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year had gotten off to a hot start to his sophomore campaign before getting hurt, slashing .303/.389/.543 with 13 home runs, one stolen base, 38 RBI and 39 runs over 48 games.

Goodman went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and two walks Tuesday in a 7-3 win against the Cubs.

Goodman got Colorado off to a good start with a two-run blast off Colin Rea in the first inning. The long ball was his seventh over his past 12 contests, a span in which the backstop is batting .256 with 14 RBI, 11 runs and two stolen bases. Goodman broke out with 31 homers over 144 contests last season, and he's on pace to easily exceed that mark this year with 18 home runs through 61 games. Goodman leads MLB catchers in long balls and ranks fourth among qualified backstops in OPS (.845)