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Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Four hits in doubleheader
Contreras went 4-for-9 with one RBI and one run scored across both games of Saturday's doubleheader versus Atlanta.
Contreras notched his fourth multi-hit effort over 15 games in July with a three-hit game in the nightcap. The catcher looks like he hasn't missed a beat since returning from a broken forearm in late June, batting .278 with four homers and 13 RBI over 22 contests following a six-week absence. He's up to a .280/.404/.511 slash line with 10 homers, 25 RBI, 32 runs scored, 13 doubles and three stolen bases through 53 games this season. Manager Oliver Marmol has committed to keeping Contreras in the lineup, so he should start at either catcher or designated hitter on a near-everyday basis.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Getting day off
Stephenson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.
Stephenson went 1-for-6 with a solo home run and two walks while starting behind the plate in the first two games of the series, but he'll be given the afternoon off as the Reds look to avoid a three-game sweep in Washington. Austin Wynns will draw the start at catcher Sunday.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Receiving Sunday off
Murphy is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Murphy went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader and will sit Sunday while in the midst of a 3-for-23 slump. Travis d'Arnaud will work behind the plate and bat sixth in the series finale.
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Eric Haase C | CHW
Brewers' Eric Haase: Gets sixth start of season
Haase will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Twins.
Haase has now started in just six of the Brewers' 19 games since he was called up from Triple-A Nashville on June 26. Though his playing time is expected to remain sparse while All-Star catcher William Contreras is healthy, Haase has made the most of his limited opportunities thus far, going 6-for-17 with a home run, a walk, five RBI and two runs through his first five games with Milwaukee.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: July power surge continues
Stephenson went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Nationals.
Stephenson's third-inning homer was his 11th of the season and fifth in the last eight games. The catcher is batting .308 with a 1.152 OPS over the last 10 contests.
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Kyle Higashioka C | TEX
Padres' Kyle Higashioka: Resting Saturday
Higashioka isn't in the Padres' lineup for Saturday's game against Cleveland.
Higashioka went 0-for-2 with a walk during Friday's loss, and he'll now get a day to regroup after being held hitless in each of his last three games. Luis Campusano will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.
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Rafael Marchan C | PHI
Phillies' Rafael Marchan: Optioned to Triple-A
The Phillies optioned Marchan to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
J.T. Realmuto (knee) was activated from the injured list Saturday, squeezing Marchan off the big-league roster. The 25-year-old backstop owns a solid .894 OPS through 56 plate appearances with the Phillies, though he'll remain in the minors as long as Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs are both active.