MLB Player News

Amaya is starting at catcher and batting ninth in Friday's game versus the Cardinals.

Amaya has made a nice first impression with the Cubs and looks to be the preferred No. 2 option at catcher ahead of Tucker Barnhart. If Yan Gomes is traded before the deadline, Amaya could take on some mixed-league value. Gomes, who tripled twice Thursday -- the 36-year-old has two total triples in his prior six seasons coming into 2023 -- slots in at designated hitter Friday.

Maile went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Giants.

Maile got the Reds on the board with a two-run shot off Alex Cobb in the bottom of the third and later added two singles, giving him his first three-hit game of the season. The catcher was 0-for-11 at the plate in July coming in, while the home run was his first since May 20 against the Yankees. He's caught all nine starts of rookie left-hander Andrew Abbott, who has a sterling 2.10 ERA and has given the starting rotation a lift.

Gomes went 3-for-4 with two triples, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals.

Not known for his speed, Gomes still managed his first two triples since the 2021 season. In fact, he entered Thursday's contest with just two triples total over the last seven years and only eight for his career. The veteran catcher has had a solid season with a .270 average and .744 OPS, but don't expect too many more triples the rest of the way.

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the White Sox.

Narvaez got the Mets on the board in the fifth inning with a solo homer off Michael Kopech, his first of the year, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Narvaez had been struggling at the plate while shifting to a backup role behind Francisco Alvarez -- he'd gone just 1-for-19 over his previous 11 games. Overall, the 31-year-old Narvaez is slashing just .209/.294/.279 with six runs scored and four RBI through 51 plate appearances.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It's a day game after a night game, so it's not a surprise to see Realmuto getting some rest. Garrett Stubbs will do the catching for Taijuan Walker.

Murphy is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Diamondbacks.

Murphy will get the day off for the afternoon tilt after catching Wednesday night's loss to Arizona. Travis d'Arnaud will be behind the plate for Spencer Strider on Thursday.

Stephenson is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Giants.

It's a day game after a night game, offering the prime opportunity to give Stephenson some rest. Luke Maile will be catching Andrew Abbott.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Brewers.

The 32-year-old catcher also struck out three times, continuing a trend that started before the All-Star break -- over his last seven games, Realmuto has a 1:12 BB:K while batting just .185 (5-for-27). Wednesday's stolen base was also his first since June 13, and while he's up to 11 homers and 11 steals in 84 contests, Realmuto's .762 OPS would be his lowest mark since his first season as a full-time player with the Marlins in 2015.

Contreras went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Phillies.

He also contributed defensively, throwing out Bryson Stott attempting to steal second base in the ninth inning to help squelch Philadelphia's last-gasp rally. Contreras has been on fire at the plate in July, producing eight multi-hit performances in 12 games and slashing .412/.436/.627 with five doubles, two homers, seven runs and nine RBI.

Sabol went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Reds on Wednesday.

San Francisco didn't manage much offense in the contest, as Sabol was the only player on the team with multiple hits. He brought the Giants to within a run with his seventh-inning solo shot, but that was the final tally of the game. Sabol looks to be earning more playing time thanks to a strong July during which he has thus far slashed .321/.321/.786 with four homers and nine RBI over 10 games. His fantasy appeal lies in his eligibility at catcher and is aided by the fact that he also gets more-than-occasional playing time in the outfield.