MLB Player News

Barnes went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday in a 1-0 victory against Milwaukee.

Barnes chose a prime time for his first long ball of the season, as his solo shot to left field in the seventh inning accounted for the lone run in LA's 11th straight win. The catcher added a single in the contest, giving him his first multi-hit performance in 43 games this season. Though he's valued for his work with pitchers as Will Smith's backup behind the plate, Barnes has endured a difficult campaign with the bat, slashing a measly .136/.216/.176 over 141 plate appearances.

Moreno went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 3-1 victory versus the Padres on Thursday.

Moreno swatted a solo shot to right field in the fifth inning to give Arizona a 3-0 lead. It was just his fourth homer of the season and his first since returning from the injured list this past Sunday. Moreno has never displayed much pop -- his high mark for homers as a pro is 12 in A-ball in 2019 -- but his .268/.311/.370 slash line on the campaign is adequate enough for him to be locked in as Arizona's primary catcher.

Smith will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup Thursday versus the Brewers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Smith was set to get a day off Thursday, but J.D. Martinez (groin) was a late scratch, so Smith will instead just receive a break behind the plate. The 28-year-old has gone 3-for-8 with two RBI and a run scored over the first two games of the series.

Sanchez is out of the lineup Thursday against the Diamondbacks.

Sanchez started at catcher in the final two games of the Padres' previous three-game set against the Orioles. Luis Campusano will get the call behind the plate in Thursday's series opener versus Arizona. Manny Machado is occupying the DH role as Ha-Seong Kim covers third base.

Smith is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers.

Austin Barnes will catch and bat ninth versus the Brewers and right-hander Corbin Burnes. J.D. Martinez is serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter and batting cleanup. This appears to be a routine day of rest for Smith, who had started five straight games behind the dish.

Contreras (hip) is starting at designated hitter and batting cleanup versus the Mets on Thursday.

Contreras left Monday's game early with hip tightness after injuring himself while tagging up from first to second base, and he was out of the lineup the past two days. He is slashing .378/.472/.630 with six home runs over his last 119 at-bats.

Single-A Palm Beach placed Bernal on its 7-day injured list Aug. 10 with an unspecified injury.

Bernal, a 19-year-old catching prospect from Panama, is in the midst of his second season at Palm Beach. Over 323 plate appearances prior to landing on the shelf, Bernal slashed .265/.381/.362 with three home runs and four stolen bases. The extent of his injury isn't clear, making it uncertain whether he'll be able to play again in 2023.

Smith went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Brewers.

Smith also supplied a sacrifice fly. The catcher had gone just 4-for-22 over his last seven games since his previous multi-hit effort. For the season, he's up to a .277/.378/.469 slash line with 15 home runs, 61 RBI, 62 runs scored, two stolen bases and 18 doubles through 94 games as a consistent presence in the heart of the lineup.

Contreras, who is out of Wednesday's lineup against the A's due to hip tightness, is feeling better and could be available off the bench, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 31-year-old is out of the starting nine for the second straight game due to the hip issue, but it sounds like he could make an appearance as a reserve. The Cardinals open a four-game series with the Mets on Thursday, and Contreras' reported improvement is an encouraging development ahead of the series opener.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Gomes is likely just getting a rest day after he started behind the plate in three of the last four games. With Gomes and Miguel Amaya both out of the starting nine, No. 3 catcher Tucker Barnhart will enter the lineup for the first time since Aug. 1.