MLB Player News

Contreras went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Dodgers.

Contreras has gone 5-for-24 (.208) with two homers, seven RBI and two steals in six games since he returned to being the primary catcher. He's now slashing .250/.333/.415 with four steals, five homers, 26 RBI and 21 runs scored through 45 contests this year. He's hit well enough to maintain a spot in the middle of the order.

Plawecki signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Saturday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Plawecki opted out of his minor-league contract with the Nationals on Tuesday, and it didn't take the veteran backstop long to find a new club. Plawecki will need to be added to the 40-man roster to help the Padres in 2023, but a strong showing in the Pacific Coast League could lead to him earning reps with San Diego before the campaign comes to a conclusion.

Smith will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith has delivered his typically excellent performance at the plate this season, slashing .314/.406/.571 with seven homers in 28 games. He'll get a rest Saturday with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.

Contreras will sit Saturday against the Rays.

Contreras will get a rest after starting seven of the last eight games. His numbers have taken a hit from his .278/.354/.506 line last season, but his .246/.340/.381 triple-slash in his first year as a Brewer is still perfectly acceptable for a catcher. Victor Caratini starts behind the plate in his absence.

Ruiz went 2-for-3 with a double, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-6 loss to the Tigers.

The catcher took Mason Englert deep in the seventh inning for his fourth long ball of the season, helping make the final score respectable after the Nationals had fallen into an 8-0 hole. Ruiz has had trouble building any momentum at the plate, slashing just .158/.222/.316 through 15 games in May, and it's possible the 24-year-old is already wearing down under a heavy workload -- only four other backstops in the league (Adley Rutschman, Willson Contreras, Salvador Perez and Tyler Stephenson) have more plate appearances in 2023 than Ruiz, but all four have seen more time at DH than he has.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored Friday against the Rangers.

Diaz accounted for the Rockies' only runs of the game with an RBI double before coming around to score in the sixth inning. He also hit third in the order against Martin Perez -- the third consecutive time he's done so against a southpaw. Diaz continues to put together a strong campaign and has maintained a 120 wRC+ and .373 wOBA across 142 plate appearances.

An MRI on Friday revealed that Bart has a Grade 1 left groin strain, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Grade 1 is the mildest strain, so this is good news for Bart. The catcher was placed on the injured list before Friday's game against the Marlins, and he has a chance to return to the lineup before the end of May.

Fortes is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Giants, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Fortes has been alternating backstop duties with Jacob Stallings, and Fortes will take a seat on the bench for Friday's series opener as Stallings hits eighth and starts behind the plate.

The Mets selected Sanchez from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

After signing a minor-league deal with the Mets on May 9, Sanchez's promotion will prevent him from exercising his opt-out clause. The 30-year-old backstop holds a .671 OPS in Triple-A this season but has excelled since joining the Mets' Triple-A team, slashing .308/.514/.500 through 37 plate appearances. Sanchez will likely be used off the bench until Tomas Nido (eye) and Omar Narvaez (calf) return from their injuries.

Alvarez (undisclosed) is back behind the plate and will bat ninth Friday against the Guardians.

Alvarez missed Thursday's win with an undisclosed injury, but he appears ready to go for the series opener with Cleveland. The catcher has gone 2-for-17 over his last five contests, though both hits went for extra bases.