MLB Player News

The Pirates placed Delay on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right knee inflammation, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Delay's placement on the IL is retroactive to Monday, so he'll be eligible for activation as soon as April 11. However, because he still has three minor-league options remaining, Delay seems more likely to be headed for Triple-A Indianapolis once activated after the Pirates acquired fellow catcher Joey Bart from the Giants on Tuesday. Bart was added to the 26-man roster Wednesday in a corresponding move, and since he's a former top prospect with no options remaining, he'll likely move ahead of Delay on the organizational catching depth chart. In addition to Bart, the Pirates have 2021 No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and veteran Yasmani Grandal (foot) -- who is on the IL while he recovers from plantar fasciitis -- ahead of Delay in the pecking order behind the dish.

Stallings will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

Stallings will get his second start through the Rockies' first seven games of the season. The 2021 Gold Glove Award winner had spent much of the past two seasons in a near-even timeshare at catcher with Nick Fortes in Miami, but Stallings now finds himself as the clear No. 2 option in Colorado after signing a one-year deal with the club in January.

Higashioka will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Higashioka will pick up just his second start through the Padres' first nine contests of the season while Luis Campusano rests for the day game after he played all nine innings behind the dish in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. Assuming health prevails, Campusano looks primed to shoulder one of the heavier workloads among No. 1 catchers in baseball this season, so Higashioka's opportunities are expected to remain infrequent.

Diaz is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

It's a routine day off for Diaz, who is 3-for-17 with a home run in his first five games this season. Jacob Stallings will do the catching for starting pitcher Cal Quantrill.

Campusano is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Cardinals, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

With it being a day game after a night game, it makes sense to give Campusano a day off. Kyle Higashioka will do the catching for Joe Musgrove as the Padres attempt to salvage a game in the series.

Moreno is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

Moreno will get a respite after he was behind the dish for both of the last two days, with Tucker Barnhart checking in for him at catcher. The young backstop is hitting .211 with four runs and five RBI through Arizona's first six games.

Duno will begin the year with Single-A Daytona, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

This is a noteworthy assignment, as Duno, the Reds' top 2023 international signee, only played in the Dominican Summer League last year as a 17-year-old. Typically those players, especially if they are catchers or pitchers, will spend the next year in the complex league, but Duno is getting a big vote of confidence from the Reds. The massive 6-foot-2, 210-pound backstop hit .303 with six home runs, a 19.5 percent walk rate and a 21 percent strikeout rate in 45 DSL games. Duno could get too big for catching by the time he is in his mid-20s, so keeping his weight in check in the coming years will be arguably the most important aspect of his development, as his bat looked ready for impact last year.

Campusano went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in during Tuesday's 5-2 loss to St. Louis.

Campusano submitted his third three-hit game of the young campaign, pushing himself into an eight-way tie for the second most hits in MLB (12). The 25-year-old is well on his way to proving that his .319 average in 2023 wasn't a fluke. Instead, he's slashing .400/.400/.600 and with a 3.3 percent strikeout rate in 30 plate appearances.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer Tuesday against the Padres.

For a second straight night, Contreras got to jog around the bases, this time after tagging Yu Darvish for a two-run home run to plate Brendan Donovan and give the Cardinals a 3-2 sixth-inning lead. Although Contreras has yet to log a multi-hit game, he's generated three runs scored and driven in four en route to a .176/.333/.529 slash line.

The Pirates are expected to place Delay on the injured list Wednesday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear what injury Delay might be dealing with, but more clarification will come once the Pirates make the move official. In a corresponding move, the Pirates acquired Joey Bart in a trade with the Giants on Tuesday. Bart could end up replacing Delay on a permanent basis as the backup to Henry Davis.