MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Smith is on the bench for Sunday's afternoon tilt after starting the previous five games. Hunter Feduccia will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Gavin Stone.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Alvarez is in the midst of a 3-for-42 slump and will head to the bench for Sunday's series finale in San Diego. Luis Torrens will step in behind the plate to catch for lefty Jose Quintana.

Bart was removed from Sunday's game against the Reds due to left hamstring discomfort.

Bart collected an RBI with a groundout during the opening frame Sunday, but he tweaked his hamstring while attempting to beat the throw. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day as he continues to be evaluated.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

The veteran backstop started the previous five contests and will sit for Sunday's afternoon tilt after a night game Saturday. Realmuto has a .348/.400/.652 slash line with five doubles, three homers, 14 RBI and eight runs in his past 46 at-bats. Garrett Stubbs will step in behind the plate to catch for lefty Kolby Allard.

Amaya is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Amaya will get a breather for the matinee contest after starting each of the past three games behind the plate. Christian Bethancourt will handle the catching duties for the Cubs in the series finale in Miami.

The Cardinals recalled Herrera from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 24-year-old will join the Cardinals as Willson Contreras heads to the injured list due to a fractured finger. Herrera should split playing time behind the plate with Pedro Pages while Contreras is sidelined.

The Cardinals placed Contreras (finger) on the 10-day injured list Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 32-year-old fractured the middle finger on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch Saturday against the Twins, so his move to the injured list was to be expected. It's unclear how long Contreras is expected to be sidelined, but he's likely to be out beyond the 10-day minumum.

Amaya went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double and two runs scored in Saturday's 14-2 win over the Marlins.

Amaya has been on a hot streak at the plate, as he's gone 8-for-12 with two home runs, five total runs scored and seven RBI over his last three games. That's upped the catcher's season-long average from .212 to .233, and as the unquestioned starter in Chicago with only veteran Christian Bethancourt around for depth, Amaya should have plenty of opportunities to build on his recent success.

Realmuto went 3-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBI in Saturday's 11-2 win over the Royals.

Realmuto had a pair of three-run homers to turn the game into a romp for the Phillies, and he added his seventh RBI on a groundout in the ninth inning. The catcher had hit just one homer over his previous 34 contests, so this was a breakout game a long time in the making. He's batting .277 (18-for-65) in August and is now up to a .262/.320/.413 slash line with 10 homers, 36 RBI, 40 runs scored and one stolen base over 76 games this year.

The Cardinals are expected to recall Herrera from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Willson Contreras suffered a fractured finger on Saturday and will require a stint on the injured list, opening up a spot on the 26-man roster for Herrera. The 24-year-old will mix in with Pedro Pages behind the dish while Contreras is sidelined. In 191 big-league plate appearances this season, Herrera is slashing .279/.340/.378 with three home runs and four stolen bases.