MLB Player News

Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Pirates.

Smith will grab some rest after handling the catching duties in the first three games of the Dodgers' four-game set versus Pittsburgh. Austin Barnes is starting behind the plate and batting ninth in Thursday's series finale.

Realmuto is out of the lineup Thursday against the Rays.

Realmuto gets a breather after making seven straight starts behind the plate for the Phillies. Garrett Stubbs is at catcher in Thursday's series finale versus Tampa Bay.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 10-9 loss to the Marlins.

Contreras has rattled off three straight multi-hit efforts, going 8-for-12 with three doubles and a home run in that short span. The catcher has shown brief flashes of breaking out at times this season, but his valleys in production have tended to be much longer than his peaks. For the season, he's at a .234/.324/.401 slash line with nine home runs, 34 RBI, 34 runs scored, 19 doubles and five stolen bases through 77 contests. Contreras may actually face more of a challenge for playing time while Andrew Knizner (groin) is out, as prospect Ivan Herrera will need some at-bats while in the big leagues.

Contreras is absent from the lineup Thursday against the Cubs.

It's a routine day of rest for Contreras, who had started at either catcher or DH in each of the Brewers' last four games. Victor Caratini is behind the plate Thursday and Jesse Winker is serving as Milwaukee's designated hitter.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Alvarez went deep four times over 24 games in June, and he already has three homers across four contests in July. His blast Wednesday came in the ninth inning to tie the game at 1-1. The catcher is up to 15 homers, 30 RBI, 27 runs scored and a .221/.276/.487 slash line through 62 contests. His playing time should stay steady as long as his bat is warm.

Murphy went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, three runs scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Guardians.

The backstop led a 19-hit barrage by Atlanta that saw seven of the team's nine starters record multiple hits, with Murphy's biggest blow being a solo shot off Cal Quantrill in the third inning. The homer was Murphy's third in his last six games and 15th of the season, while the surge has pushed his slash line on the season back up to .305/.397/.580 with 40 runs and 50 RBI in 65 contests.

Knizner has no structural damage in his groin, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.

Knizner was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday after taking a foul ball to the groin in the fourth inning of Tuesday's blowout loss to the Marlins, but it sounds like he'll be able to return to the Cardinals' active roster shortly after the All-Star break. Ivan Herrera will serve as the backup to Willson Contreras in the meantime.

Moreno is out of the lineup again Wednesday versus the Mets.

Carson Kelly will get a third straight nod at catcher despite holding a .189/.225/.297 batting line on the year. Moreno hasn't been great either, though he did rattle off three hits in his last start Saturday against the Angels.

Gomes is not in the lineup Wednesday at Milwaukee.

Tucker Barnhart will start behind the plate and bat ninth with Miguel Amaya joining Gomes on the bench. Mike Tauchman is serving as the Cubs' designated hitter.

Fortes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Fortes is getting a breather Wednesday after he went 2-for-7 with two RBI and a run scored while starting behind the plate Monday and Tuesday. Jacob Stallings will handle catching duties in Fortes' stead.