MLB Player News

Sanchez isn't in the Padres' lineup for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against Philadelphia.

Sanchez went 0-for-3 with a run scored during Game 1, bringing his batting average down to just .195 on the season. Austin Nola will start behind the dish for Game 2 and bat eighth.

Stephenson isn't in the Reds' lineup Saturday against the Brewers.

After going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts during Friday's contest, Stephenson will get a breather Saturday. Luke Maile will take Stephenson's place behind the dish and bat ninth.

Knizner (groin) will not be activated from the injured list Saturday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Despite being cleared to return Friday, Knizner will remain on the injured list through Saturday as the Cardinals contemplate keeping three catchers on the active roster. With Willson Contreras firmly in the starting spot, a decision to cut down to two backstops would send either Knizner or Ivan Herrera down to Triple-A Memphis. Knizner is slashing .227/.254/.418 through 115 plate appearances this season.

Bailey went 1-for-5 with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Pirates.

Bailey was effective on both sides of the stolen-base equation Friday, as he also threw out Tucupita Marcano in the third inning. Bailey's theft was the first in his career, and as a catcher, he shouldn't be expected to run frequently. He's also slashing .290/.320/.483 with five home runs, 27 RBI, 15 runs scored, 11 doubles and a triple over 41 contests, though he's hitting a light .167 in July.

Moreno isn't in the Diamondbacks' lineup Saturday against Toronto.

Moreno will get a breather Saturday one day after going 2-for-4 with a homer against his former team. Carson Kelly will fill in behind the plate and bat eighth while Moreno sits.

Sanchez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 8-3 win over Philadelphia.

Sanchez produced the first run of the contest with a solo shot to left field in the third inning. The long ball was his first since June 22 and just his second across his past 24 contests. Sanchez has slashed a paltry .167/.268/.278 over that stretch, though he's at least managed to keep his strikeout rate (22.0 percent) in check while posting a healthy 12.2 percent walk rate. The veteran's season slash line of .200/.273/.424 over 139 plate appearances is far from exceptional, but with eight homers and 22 RBI, he's been easily San Diego's best offensive option behind the plate.

Moreno went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-2 loss to Toronto.

Moreno made an impression against the team that traded him to Arizona during the offseason. The catcher threw out George Springer attempting to steal in the first inning, then he homered in the seventh to knot the game at 2-2. It was the third home run of the season for 23-year-old Moreno, who continues to serve as the primary catcher even with the return of Carson Kelly. The 29-year-old Kelly is batting just .163 over 14 games since being activated from the 60-day injured list in mid-June.

Knizner (groin) has been cleared to return to action, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Knizner is eligible for activation Saturday and it sounds like he should be back on the active roster that day. He's missed the last week and a half after taking a foul ball to the groin.

Fortes is absent from the lineup Friday in Baltimore, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Fortes started three of the last four games prior to the All-Star break, but it will be Jacob Stallings at catcher for the first game of the second half. Stallings has caught all 19 of Sandy Alcantara's starts this season.

Cartaya is hitting .228/.288/.433 with eight home runs and a 20.9 percent strikeout rate in his last 32 games for Double-A Tulsa.

He is the third-youngest qualified catcher at Double-A, (older than Edgar Quero and Jeferson Quero), and his .238 BABIP on the season is easily the lowest mark of his career, so there's needed context when evaluating his surface stats. Cartaya doesn't project to hit for a high average in the majors, but he could still be a catcher-eligible player who plays enough to hit 20-plus homers per season.