MLB Player News

Smith (elbow) is starting at catcher and batting third Tuesday against Oakland.

Smith took a pitch off his left elbow in Sunday's series finale versus the Reds, but X-rays turned up negative and he's ready to rock for the Dodgers in their series opener versus the Athletics. The 28-year-old has posted an .862 OPS with 13 homers and 52 RBI through 80 games this season.

Gomes went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's loss to the Reds.

Gomes extended his hitting streak to nine games as his resurgent season continues. The veteran is now batting .286 with a .785 OPS. By comparison, Gomes batted just .235 with a .625 OPS last year. Due to his strong play, the 36-year-old should remain locked in as the Cubs' clear No. 1 catcher, ahead of Miguel Amaya and Tucker Barnhart.

Stallings is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Stallings will sit for the second day in a row while the Marlins reward Nick Fortes with another turn behind the dish after he delivered an RBI double in Sunday's 8-6 win over Detroit. The Marlins' catching situation remains fluid, with neither Stallings nor Fortes having produced well enough at the plate this season to establish himself as the team's clear-cut No. 1 backstop.

Murphy is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Murphy received a breather Saturday, but Atlanta will give its top backstop another day off to begin its series with the Angels. The team hasn't provided any indication that Murphy is dealing with an injury, so his move to the bench for the second time in three days could just be a means of getting No. 2 catcher Travis d'Arnaud some extra work. Murphy could probably benefit from another day off anyway while he's gone cold coming out of the All-Star break; he's slashing .105/.227/.132 in his first 10 games of the second half.

Stephenson is not in Monday's lineup against the Cubs.

Stephenson hit .211 with one home run, 10 runs and four RBI in 57 July at-bats. Luke Maile will start behind the dish and hit ninth.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with two solo homers in Sunday's win over the Rangers.

Sanchez went deep in the fourth and fifth innings to lead the Padres to a series sweep. While he's cooled down this month, the veteran catcher has still knocked five home runs while registering a .795 OPS in 19 July games. For the season, he's slashing .213/.289/.475 with 18 extra-base hits and 32 RBI.

Smith (elbow) underwent X-rays that came back negative Sunday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

Smith was hit by a pitch in the first inning of Sunday's game against the Reds and was later removed due to what was deemed a left elbow contusion. Further testing didn't reveal any structural damage, and he hopes to be available for Tuesday's matchup against the Athletics.

Smith was removed from Sunday's game against the Reds with a left elbow contusion.

Smith was hit by a pitch on the left elbow during the opening frame Sunday and was pulled from the contest before making another plate appearance. The 28-year-old should be considered day-to-day and will have Monday's team off day to aid in his recovery before Tuesday's matchup with Oakland.

Sanchez will start at catcher and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Rangers.

The recent arrival of Brett Sullivan from Triple-A El Paso to provide the Friars with a third option behind the plate looks as though it'll be beneficial to both Sanchez and Luis Campusano. The two have now both been included in the lineup in five consecutive games, with one starting at catcher and the other starting at designated hitter. The Padres' remaining bench options beyond Sullivan (Matt Carpenter, Matthew Batten and Alfonso Rivas) haven't made compelling cases to see more work at DH, so Sanchez's playing time should be fairly secure while he's been able to stay productive at the plate. In 11 games since the All-Star break, Sanchez has slashed .235/.341/.559 with three home runs and 5:4 BB:K.

Campusano will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Rangers.

After calling up Brett Sullivan from Triple-A El Paso on Saturday to provide the team with a third catcher, the Padres look set to include both Campusano and Gary Sanchez in the lineup simultaneously on a more frequent basis, with one starting at designated hitter and the other starting behind the plate. Campusano will pick up his sixth consecutive start Sunday, while Sanchez sticks in the lineup for a fifth straight game.